PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 263 



Habitat. Cuba to Patagonia. 



Head, 4 in length (5^ including caudal); depth, 4| (5f); D. IV-I, 8: 

 A. Ill, 8. Scales, 12-35. Length, 18 inches. 



Body elongate, its depth less than in any other American Mugil. 

 Snout broad and bluntish, the upper profile almost straight and hori- 

 zontal (in young examples the anterior profile is about equally oblique 

 above and below), luterorbital space gently convex, its width 2 in head. 

 Upper lip rather thin. Space at the chin between the mandibulary 

 bones oblanceolate, acutish posteriorly. Preorbital large, almost cov- 

 ering maxillary. Eyes hidden anteriorly and posteriorly by a broad 

 adipose membrane. Teeth very minute. 



Scales large, those on top of head larger; about 21 large scales be- 

 tween origin of dorsal and tij) of snout; soft dorsal and anal almost 

 naked. Margin of soft dorsal very concave; the sixth ray shortest, 3 

 times in second and longest ray. Anal similar to soft dorsal, but 

 slightly less concave. Caudal deeply forked. 



Color dusky above, silvery below. A dusky streak along each row of 

 scales, this streak not so wide as in M. cephalus. Scales on side and 

 opercle with dark punctulations. Ventrals pale yellowish, the fins 

 otherwise dusk^'. 



This species is abundant in the markets of Havana, where it is usually 

 known as Lehrancho. It has not yet been noticed in the waters of 

 Florida, although probably occurring there. 



It is readily distinguished from Mugil ceplialus and other species with 

 naked dorsal and anal by its large scales. 



Its synonymy presents little difticulty. The Cuban form was sepa- 

 rated by Poey under the name of ACugil lehranchiis on account of slight 

 discrepancies or errors in the description of Valenciennes. The species 

 lebranchus has been regarded as doubtful by Poey. There seems, in 

 fact, no reason of importance for thinking liza and lebranchus different. 



2. Mugil cephalus. Striped Mullet. Common Mullet. CSfalo. Cephalus. Anti- 

 quarum. 

 Mugil, Artedi, Genera, xxvi, 32, 1738. (Syuouymy includes several species; de- 



BCiiptiou not diagnostic.) 



Mugil cephalus, LiNN^us, Syst. Nat., x, 1758, 316 (based on Artedi) ; Cuv. & 

 Val., xi, 1836, 19 (Mediterranean) ; Gunther, iii, 1861, 417 (River Niger) ; 

 (and of European authors generally). 

 Mugil albula, Linn^us, Syst. Nat. xii, 520, 1766 (Charleston); Gmelin, Syst. 

 Nat., 1788, 1398 (copied) ; Cuv. & Val., xi, 1836, 96 (New York ; De Kay, 

 New York Fauna, Fishes, 1842, 146 (New York); Goode, Proc. U. S. Nat. 

 Mus., 1879, 116 (Saint John's River); Goode & Bean, op. cit., 1879, 148 

 (West Florida); Bean, op. cit., 1880, 102 (Wood's Holl, Newport, Wash- 

 ington Market, North Carolina, Charleston); Jordan & JouY, op. cit, 

 1881, 13 (San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco) ; Jordan & Gilbert, 

 op. cit., 1881, 143 (Monterey, southward); Goode & Bp:an, op. cit., 1882, 

 239 (Gulf of Mexico); Jordan & Gilbert, op. cit., 1882, pp. 266, 379, ."iSS 

 (Charleston, Galveston, Cape San Lucas, Panama): Jordan & Gilbert. 

 Bull.U. S.Nat. Mus., 1882, 106(Mazatlan); Jordan «fe Gilbert, Synopsis 

 Fishes North America, 1883, 403 (Atlantic coast U. S.), (and of recent 

 American writers generally). 



