1941 CATALOGUE OF FISHES OF TORTUGAS jgm 



it may be seen cropping all day long, and which seem to constitute by far the 

 greater part of its food, though it goes readily into traps baited with spiny 

 lobster. This is a bottom fish. It usually slips between gorgonians or other ob- 

 structions in going from place to place, whereas Acanthurus caeruleus commonly 

 goes over them. 



The golden brown, on the open reef, matches very well the dominant color of 

 the algae. It is readily able, too, to display a very pale phase. It is a more grace- 

 fully shaped and delicately colored species than A. hepatus, and the striping on 

 its dorsal fin is finer by half, but soon disappears after death. The pectoral fins 

 are much more broadly covered by chestnut brown on their posterior faces, and 

 the ventrals are so colored that when they are pressed close to the body the ex- 

 posed faces match perfectly the pale ventral surface. The pale ring on the caudal 

 is of a yellow cast. 



The soft rays in a sample of 10 are: D. 24^/2 to 26 1 /,; A. 22^ to 23^2 • 



W. H. L. 



The collection contains 4 adults, 163 to 223 mm. long. The color is uniformly 

 brown. Only 1 specimen retains fine longitudinal dark stripes on the dorsal fin. 

 The caudal is pale-margined, lunate, both lobes acute, the upper the longer. The 

 following proportions and enumerations are based on 2 specimens, 160 and 163 

 mm. long: Head 3.4 to 3.6; depth 2.0 to 2.1. Eye in head 3.6 to 3.9; snout 1.4; 

 interorbital 3.5 to 3.8; caudal peduncle 2.6 to 2.8; pectoral 1.0. D. IX,24, IX,25; 

 A. 111,22, 111,22; P. 16, 16. 



Atlantic coast of tropical America, northward to Florida. S. F. H. 



Family SCORPAENIDAE. Scorpion Fishes 



The following key seems desirable, as some of the species are not well known, 

 and as a few new ones were described recently. S. F. H. 



Key to the Genera and Species 



a. Bones of head scarcely cavernous; occiput generally with 2 spines; 

 dorsal fin slightly or at least not very deeply notched, never in two 

 parts, with 12 or 13 spines 

 b. Palatines with bands of villiform teeth; dorsal spines normally 12 

 c. Pectoral with some of the median rays branched 



d. Scales on top of head cycloid or wanting; cranium with 

 many spines; occiput with a more or less distinct 



square pit Scorpaena 



e. Occipital pit deep 



/. A deep pit below and before eye; axil of pec- 

 toral with large white spots on a black ground . plumieri 

 ff. No suborbital pit; axil of pectoral not with 

 white spots on a black ground 

 g. Eye very large, about 2.5 in head; pec- 

 torals long, reaching nearly or quite to 

 end of base of anal agassizii 



