446 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Body rather slender, subelliptical, the back moderately elevated ; 

 profile almost straight from snout to nape, thence convex ; snout rather 

 long and pointed, 3^ in head ; eye large, 3.J in head. Interorbital space 

 slightly convex, 5| in head, the occipital ridge low. Preorbital rather 

 narrow, 7i in head; mouth rather small, the jaws subequal. Maxillary 

 reaching almost to front of pupil, 2f in head. Upper jaw with a nar- 

 row band of villiform teeth, outside of which is a series of moderately 

 enlarged teeth; four rather strong canines, two of them longer, about 

 one-half diameter of pupil ; lower jaw with a single series of unequal teeth 

 as strong as upper ; inside of these is a narrow band of villiform teeth in 

 front of jaw only. Tongue with a single long oval patch of teeth, its 

 length more than twice its width. Vomer with a broadly arrow-shaped 

 patch of teeth with a backward prolongation on median line, its length 

 scarcely greater than width of i)atch in front. Xo teeth on pterygoid or 

 hyoid bones. GiUrakers numerous, about 12 developed on lower part 

 of arch, besides five or six very small or rudimentary ones, those near 

 the angle larger, their length 2| in aya. Preopercle with its posterior 

 margin oblique and nearly straight, a broad and rather shallow notch 

 above its angle ; its edge strongly serrate, the teeth coarser at angle 

 and on lower limb. 



Scales rather small, the rows above the lateral line running upward 

 and backward, the rows below nearly horizontal ; about six rows of scales 

 on the cheeks, one or two rows on interopercle, one row on subopercle, 

 seven or eight rows on oj^ercle. Base of soft dorsal and anal scaly; the 

 outline of the fin rather strongly convex. Temporal region with a band 

 of large scales, behind which are small scales. Top of head, snout, and 

 jaws naked. 



Dorsal spines moderately strong, the fifth spine 24 in head ; the tenth 

 spine 3h in head ; margin of soft dorsal nearl3' straight, its rays almost of 

 equal length, 3^ in head ; caudal moderately forked, the npi^er lobe 

 slightly the longer, 1| length of middle rays, which are 2| in head; mar- 

 gin of anal gently convex, the middle rays slightly longer than last, 2^ 

 in head; the tip of first soft ray almost reaching tip of last ray when the 

 fin is depressed ; anal spines strong, the second longer and stronger 

 than third spine, 2| in head. Ventrals, 14 in head; pectorals reach- 

 ing opposite first soft ray of anal, 1:^ in head. 



Color in life crimson, silvery below flushed with crimson, axil and base 

 of pectorals jet black; eye orange, dorsal crimson, its edge scarlet; cau- 

 dal orange yellow, as also part of caudal peduncle ; last rays of soit dor- 

 sal, most of anal and ventrals yellow; pectorals, base of anal, and ven- 

 tral spines pinkish. In spirits the bright colors fade, leaving the body 

 pale reddish, the base of the pectoral within and without jet black. 



This small and strongly marked species is common in the deeper 

 waters about Havana, and is knoAvn in the markets as iSesi or ^Sesi de 

 lo Alto. 



The synonymy of the species offers no difficulty. A young specimen 

 was once described by Poey as a distinct species under the name of 



