Report oj a Mission to iinaiu. 73 



ill jaws, none on vomer or palatines. Barbiiles reaching about to 

 angle of preopercle. Fins: Spinous dorsal i .50 into head. Longest 

 ray of soft dorsal 2 into head. Two rows of scales l)etweeii soft and 

 spinous dorsal. Color in spirits: Scales of upper surface more or 

 less edged with brownish, below yellowish white. A brown line from 

 end of snout through eye to below soft dorsal fin; back of the head 

 this brown line is accompanied on each side by a yellow line of 

 almo.st equal width. A dusky saddle over free portion of tail, with 

 a yellowish spot between it and the soft dorsal. A more or less 

 dusky line down po,sterior margin of preopercle. Base of opercular 

 spine dusk}-. One specimen. Length 8 inches. Guam, May 26, 

 1900. Hah. Indian Ocean, Polynesia, Marianas. 



Family CARANGID^.— Pompanos. 



Genus CARANX LacepEde. 



82. Caranx ascensionis (Forst.). Tarakita. 



Head 3.33; depth 2.66; eye 5.33, 2 into snout; interorbital 4; 

 D. IX, I, 22; A. II, I 19; V. I 5. Scales about 58 to the beginning 

 of the plate-like scales which arm the posterior half of the lateral 

 line; there are 48 of the plate-like scales which begin on a line of 

 the fifth dorsal ray. Body oblong, compressed. Mouth protradtile, 

 the lower jaw slightly the longer. Maxillar}- broad, almost as 

 wide as eye. Preopercle not serrate. Branchiostegals 7. Pseudo- 

 branchiae present. Teeth: The teeth in the upper jaw in villiform 

 band, with an outer series of stronger ones; those of the lower in a 

 single series; minute teeth also on palate and tongue. Fins: The 

 dorsal consists of a recumbent spine followed by seven rather weak 

 spines, all connedled, the longest being 2.75 into head; following 

 these and scarcely connecfted with them is a short strong spine about 

 midway between the spinous dorsal proper and soft dorsal. The soft 

 dorsal is about equal in length to anal and similar in form; the 

 longest ray is contained 1.33 into head, being a little longer than 

 the first ra}^ of anal; there are no detached rays. The pecftorals are 

 long and falcate, their length greater than head, 3 into total length. 

 Ventrals short, 2.50 into head. Caudal well forked, lobes equal, 

 4 into total length. The bod}- is finely scaled, there being no bare 

 area in front of ventrals. Lateral line strongly cur\-ed, the curved 

 portion 1.50 into straight. Color in spirits: Silvery with a slight 

 wash of 3-ellowish. Pectorals yellow. Dorsal and anal bluish. The 

 outer raj'S of caudal seem to have more or less yellowish wa.sh. 

 One specimen — length 13 inches — and 13 young 2.50-4.50 inches, 

 were taken near the reef. Guam, July 9, 1900. The 3'oung are 

 uiLstriped and have more bluish on the back, and the fins with less 

 color. Hah. Gilbert Islands, Marianas. 



