1941 CATALOGUE OF FISHES OF TORTUGAS jg 



colored except for a dark spot at the upper angle of the opercular cleft, the dark 

 tip of the falcate dorsal fin, and the yellow caudal. W. H. L. 



Aside from color, this species is recognizable by the very moderately elevated 

 anterior lobes of the second dorsal and the anal; the somewhat enlarged teeth 

 on the lower jaw; and the low number of gill rakers, 14 or 15 on the lower limb 

 of the first arch. Other enumerations and proportions are: D. VIII-1,20 to 22; 

 A. II-I,i7 or 18; lateral scutes 35 to 38. Head 2.9 to 3.2; depth 2.5 to 2.6 (enumera- 

 tions and proportions based on 3 specimens in the Tortugas collections, 95, in, 

 and 140 mm. long). 



Tropical Atlantic, northward on the coast of the United States to or beyond 

 Virginia. S. F. H. 



Caranx crysos (Mitchill). Hardtail 



The young are apparently common about the Tortugas, though taken rarely 

 by us. Only a few adults were noticed. Some may have been mistaken, however, 

 for Caranx ruber, with which they may school. In collections of refuse from the 

 tern rookery, to the length of about 100 mm., they were less numerous than the 

 two common flying fishes, Parexocoetus mesogaster and Cypselurus furcatus, 

 and the filefish, Monacanthus hispid its. Usually Caranx ruber was better repre- 

 sented, and often one or all .of the following were more numerous: Psenes 

 cyanophrys, Coryphaena hippiirus, and Trachurops crnmenopthalma. 



The many scutes of the lateral line identify this fish readily in the rookery 

 waste, even when, having been swallowed headforemost, the anterior half of the 

 body is largely digested. The opercular spot, more falcate second dorsal, rounder 

 snout, and absence of a definite dark dorsal stripe continuing into the lower lobe 

 of the caudal fin distinguish it further. It is not more yellow than C. ruber, except 

 when quite young. 



A large specimen, 550 mm. in total length, was 430 mm. long to base of caudal; 

 depth 140 mm.; head 115 mm.; eye 22 mm.; straight portion of lateral line 180 

 mm. D. VIII-1,23; A. IL21; gill rakers on lower limb of first arch 25; lateral-line 

 scutes with spines, about 40. 



Tropical Atlantic, straying northward to Cape Cod. W. H. L. 



Caranx hippos (Linnaeus) 



No mention of this species was found in Dr. Longley's notes, indicating he did 

 not take it. The only record of its capture at Tortugas, known to me, is by 

 Jordan and Thompson (Bull. U. S. Bur. Fish., vol. 24, 1904 (1905), p. 237). It 

 may be assumed that the species is rare at Tortugas as it is at Key West, where 

 Bureau of Fisheries collectors took only one specimen during several years of 

 intermittent collecting. 



This species differs from the others of the genus in having the chest naked, 

 except for a small triangular patch of scales in front of the ventrals. Adults have 

 a steeper, more strongly convex anterior profile, a rather broader head and nape, 

 and a more prominent black opercular spot than related species. 



Tropical Atlantic, and northward on the coast of the United States. S. F. H. 



