4G2 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Head, 3 m) ; depth, 2§ (4^). D. X, 13; A. Ill, 9. Scales, (7) 10-6o-15; 

 51 pores. Leugtli of au example from Key West, 12 Inches. 



Body elliptical, comparatively elongate ; the back little elevated ; the 

 profile straight from the tip of the suout to the nape, thence rather 

 strongly arched; caudal peduncle long and slender; snout pointed, of 

 moderate length, 3 in head; eye small, 5 in head; interorbital si)ace 

 very convex, with a sharp median keel, 4 in head ; preorbital narrow, 

 its least width 6| in head. 



Mouth small, oblique ; lower jaw projecting ; maxillary reaching very 

 slightly beyond front of orbit, 2f in head; upper jaw with a narrow 

 band of villiform teeth, outside of which is a single series of larger teeth, 

 5 or 6 of those in front being somewhat canine-like, but small ; lower 

 jaw with a single series of moderately strong teeth, none of them large 

 enough to be called canines ; tongue with a large, oval patch of teeth, 

 in front of which is a smaller but similar patch ; teeth on vomer forming 

 a broadly arrow-shaped patch, with a backward prolongation on the 

 median line, which is nearly twice the Avidth of the patch ; a narrow 

 band of pterygoid teeth behind the patch on the vomer, this not evident 

 in young examples ; gill-rakers rather long and. slender, the longest 

 about half diameter of eye, about 21 below angle of arch, none of them 

 rudimentary. 



Preopercle with its posterior margin almost vertical, with a slight but 

 distinct emarginatiou above the angle; serrations of preopercle very 

 feeble, the teeth at the angle scarcely enlarged ; nostrils well separated, 

 the posterior slit-like ; scales small, those above lateral line arranged in 

 very oblique series, those below in rows nearly horizontal ; cheeks with 

 5 or G rows of scales, about two rows on iuteropercle ; temi)oral region 

 with two or three series of large scales before and behind which are 

 many small scales ; top of head, snout, and jaws naked ; bases of soft 

 dorsal and anal scalj'. 



Dorsal spines rather long and slender, the fin not deeply emarginate; 

 fifth spine longest, 2| in head, tenth spine 3f ; soft dorsal and anal 

 similar, their margins nearly [straight], the last rays slightly shortened ; 

 median rays about 3 in head ; caudal fin long, very deeply forked, the 

 upper lobe longest, three times as long as middle rays, which are 2^ in 

 head; pectorals long and slender, almost reaching anal, 1^ in head; 

 ventrals 1± in head; anal spines rather weak, the third one-third longer 

 than second, 4 in head. 



Color in life olivaceous above, rather pale, and somewhat violet- 

 tinged; a number of large, irregular deep yellow blotches on sides of 

 back; a deep yellow stripe from tip of snout straight through eye to 

 caudal peduncle, there broadening and inclucjiug all of tail above lateral 

 line and behind dorsal fin. Above this a pearly-purplish area; below 

 it a flesh-colored or rosy area or band, two scales broad, then a succes- 

 sion of about 1() narrow streaks of alternating flesh-color and yellow, 



