Fishes of the Western Nortli Atlantic 117 



from nearly straight when fins are spread to weakly and continuously convex; rear tips 

 reaching about as far as origin of first dorsal in females and young but as far as mid- 

 point of first dorsal base in adult males; inner margins of pelvics anterior to rear tips 

 free from sides of tail for a distance about as long as base of first dorsal in females, but 

 about 1.3 times that long in adult males. 



Proximal edge of upper element of each labial cartilage with a distinct notch; 

 one or two small cartilages intervening between rostral cartilage and antorbital cartilage 

 on each side, or none."^ 



Color. Upper surface dark brown, grayish brown, or leaden to orange or reddish; 

 uniform in some cases but more often irregularly clouded with vaguely defined darker 

 bars or blotches. Most specimens have one band extending across the head anterior 

 to the eyes, but others have another across the posterior part of the head, one or two 

 across the posterior part of the disc extending onto pelvics and tail, and one on the tail 

 extending onto the dorsals; or they may have any or all of these in combination. Late 

 embryos and newborn specimens usually have a varying number of dark rings, ovals, or 

 loops, or darker blotches with pale centers. These markings persist undimmed to 

 maturity in some cases, but more often they become disassociated into separate dots 

 or irregular larger spots that recall the original pattern only faintly at maturity."* In 

 fact, they may finally fade out altogether with growth. "^ Lower surface white, either 

 pure or of a yellowish or greenish cast, with the posterior parts of pectorals and outer 

 margins of pelvics dusky-edged. Some specimens show irregular black blotches ex- 

 tending inward and forward from the region of the axils of the pectorals, and some 

 have scattered sooty spots on the posterior parts of the latter or elsewhere on the lower 

 side of the disc. 



Remarks. More than a century ago three color varieties were defined but not 

 named."* The name Narcine coraUina has been proposed, first as varietal,"' next as a 

 full species,"* and subsequently as a subspecies,"^ for specimens from the Florida Keys 

 in which the ground tint of the upper surface was orange or red. Similarly, West Indian 

 specimens with the dark blotches replaced by loops of small dark spots have been named 

 Narcine punctata^'^^ but subsequently Narcine hrasiliensis var. bancrofti.^'^^ Still others from 

 Key West, Florida, with dark cloudings but without a superimposed pattern have been 

 made the basis of a separate species, Narcine umhrosa Jordan 1884.^*^ However, these 

 differences in hue and pattern, while striking enough between the extremes (Fig. 24), 



133. Two such intervening cartilages are pictured for Narcine brasiliensis by Henle (Ueber Narcine, 1S34: pi. 4, figs. 

 2, 3). However, only one was found on one side and none on the other in a specimen that we dissected. 



134. For photographs of a female that falls in this category, and her 15 embryos, see Bean and Weed (Proc. U. S. nat. 

 Mus., 40, 191 1 : pis. 10, 11). 



135. All of these variations are to be seen among specimens that we have observed from the west and east coasts of Florida. 

 Also Brazilian specimens may have either the clouded variety of coloration (Fig. 24) or may retain the juvenile pat- 

 tern more or less distinctly (Ribeiro, An. Mus. nac. Rio de J., 14, 1907: pi. 17). 



136. MuUer and Henle, Plagiost., 1841: 129. 137. Garman, Bull. Mus. comp. Zool. Harv., 8, 1881: 234. 

 138. Jordan, Proc. U.S. nat. Mus., 7, 1884: 105. 139. Radcliffe, Bull. U. S. Bur. Fish., 34, 1916: 270. 



140. Garman, Bull. Mus. comp. Zool. Harv., 11, 1881: 233. 



141. Garman, Mem. Harv. Mus. comp. Zool., 36, 1913: 298. 



142. Proc. U. S. nat. Mus., 7, 1884: 105. 



