80 PAPERS FROM TORTUGAS LABORATORY vol. xxxiv 



Trachinotus falcatus (Linnaeus). Pompano 



A specimen 15 mm. long was taken in floating Sargassum. Others, 60 mm. 

 long, were seined along the shore. 



The smallest fish was rich dark brown with soft dorsal, anal, and caudal fins 

 clear. At the preopercular angle it had a strong spine equaling three-quarters the 

 ocular diameter. About the base of this were smaller spines, with 2 others, grad- 

 uated, on the posterior, 2 on the inferior preopercular margin. The larger fish 

 were pale grayish, silvery on the sides and below. Dorsal fin black along anterior 

 margin and lobe; ventrals and anterior margin and lobe of anal orange. Pre- 

 opercular spine not evident; form that of the adult, save that the contour is 

 straight from eyes to origin of dorsal. 



Occasionally large fish were seen during the summer at the shore of Logger- 

 head Key and about the Bird Key flats. 



A female 82.5 cm. long, taken on July 1, 1933, measured 63.7 cm. to base of 

 caudal, and was 28.7 cm. deep. D. VI-I,io/, A. II-L18. The dorsal lobe depressed 

 reached to the base of the 15th ray, the anal lobe to the base of the 10th ray. The 

 ventrals were 87 mm. long, the distance from ventral origin to anus 87 mm. The 

 size of the ovaries indicated the breeding season. 



In the mouth of this fish was a specimen of Strom bus biberculatus , and in the 

 stomach were the foot and operculum, but not the shell, of another, with the 

 chelae of the great hermit crab, Petrochirus baha'mensis, and fragments of other 

 crustaceans. 



Another fish, a male, 75 cm. long, had the same fin formulas and the same 

 proportions. In its alimentary tract were sea-urchin spines and pieces of their 

 tests, and fragments of a small Pitho. 



This large fish showed a healed wound involving the region from the 3d anal 

 spine to the nth ray, a linear distance of 100 mm. along the base of the fin. There 

 had been no regeneration of fins or scales. W. H. L. 



This pompano is recognized by its deep body (depth generally less than 2 in 

 length) ; the greatly elevated anterior lobes of the soft dorsal and anal in the 

 adult; the rather small number of dorsal and anal rays (D. VI or VII-I,io. to 21; 

 A. II-I,i7 or 18) ; and by the plain color, no crossbars being present. 



The collection contains 6 juveniles, ranging from 9 to n mm. in length, taken 

 off West Buoy. The dorsal and anal rays are already well enough developed to 

 permit a fairly accurate count, the spines being especially well developed. In 3 

 specimens the formulas are, D. VII,2o; VII, 19; VII, 18; A. IIL18; III, 17; III,i7, 

 the first 2 spines not being separated from the 3d. The preopercle is provided 

 with 3 very large spines, which are lost later in life. The caudal already is forked. 



These young vary among themselves in color from nearly black to brownish 

 with dark punctulations. The soft parts of the dorsal and anal and the caudal fin 

 are abruptly colorless. 



Atlantic coast of tropical America, sometimes as far northward as Cape Cod. 



S. F. H. 



