Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 



437 



Body elongate, strongly but not excessively compressed, its greatest thickness 

 between a third and a fourth of its depth, its greatest depth 4-75-S-7S 'n SL; the 

 dorsal outline of head straight to slightly convex; the ventral outline rather strongly 

 convex anteriorly. Caudal peduncle shorter than deep, its depth 2.6—3.4 in head. 



Scales mostly lost; rather large, very thin with smooth edge, and without evident 

 striations. Ventral scutes well developed, all with entire (smooth) margin. 



Figure 112. Neoopisthopterus cubanus, 50 mm TL, 41 mm SL, Havana, Cuba, type, USNM 143569. Drawn 

 by Ann S. Green. 



Head fairly short and deep, its length 4.25-4.65 in SL, its depth at vertical from 

 slight crossgroove at occiput 4.9-5.4. Snout about as long as eye (in small specimens), 

 3.3—4.5 in head. Eye 3.4-4.1. Interorbital very narrow, 7.3—9.0. Cheek about as 

 long as deep. Mouth moderately oblique. Maxillary quite narrowly rounded poste- 

 riorly, reaching to or somewhat beyond vertical from posterior margin of pupil, 1.55- 

 1.8 in head. Mandible projecting slightly, its margin within mouth rising rather 

 abruptly, 1.6— 1.75 in head. Gill rakers slender, those at angle of first arch about as 

 long as pupil, with very fine serrae along the inner edge. Teeth small to minute, ap- 

 parently in a narrow band on anterior part of lower jaw; those on maxillary and pre- 

 maxillary in a single series, interrupted at point of 

 overlapping of maxillary and premaxillary; very small 

 teeth on palatines and pterygoids and on median line 

 of tongue. 



Dorsal fin quite small, somewhat elevated an- 

 teriorly, its margin convex, its rays rather feeble, 

 its origin rather more than an eye's diameter behind 

 origin of anal and about equidistant between margin of 

 opercle and base of caudal, its distance from margin 

 of snout 1. 55-1. 65 in SL. Caudal fin rather broadly 

 forked, the lower lobe slightly the longer, scarcely 

 as long as head. Anal fin moderately long, its origin 

 about equidistant between posterior margin of eye and 

 base of caudal, its base 2.55-3.0 in SL. Pectoral 

 fin damaged in all specimens at hand, apparently 



Figure 113. Neoopisthopterus cubanus 

 head to show overlapping maxillary 

 and premaxillary bones; same as 

 shown in Fig. 112. Drawn by Ann 

 S. Green. 



