464 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



23. Rhomboplites aurirubens. Cagon de lo Alto. 



Centropri.stis aurorubens,Cn\. & Val.,Hist. Nat. Poiss., iii, 4r> (Brazil; MartL- 

 uique ; San Domingo) ; Storer, Synopsis, 1846, 288 (coxiied). 



McKoprion auroruhens, Giiuther, i, 207, 1859 (Jamaica). 



EhomhopUteii aurorubens, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1862, 236; Goodo & 

 B«an, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1879, 136 (Charleston ; Pensacola) ; Beau, Proc. 

 U. S. Nat. Mu8., 1880, 96 (Charleston); Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 

 1884 (Pensacola). 



Lufjanus anroruhenn, YniUaui & Bocourt, Miss. Sci. au Mexique, 1875; Jordan 

 & Gilbert, Synopsis Fish. N. A., 188:3, 549. 



Mesoprioii eIegan!i,Foey,M.emoriaB, ii, 1,53, 1860 (Cuba). 



RhomhopUtes p/e^«Jis, Poey, Repertorio, ii, 158, 1868; Poey, Synopsis, 1868, 295; 

 Poey, Enumeratio, 1875, 31. 



Aprion ajvowiHiws, Jordan &, Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1883, 142 (Pen- 

 sacola). 



Head, S^ (4); deptli, 3^ (4). D. XII, 11; A. Ill, 8. Scales (7), 10- 

 72-19; 50 pores. Length of a specimen from Cuba, 12i inches. 



Body elongate, irregularly elliptical, the hack not greatly elevated, 

 highest at the uape ; ])rofile regularly and strongly convex from above 

 eye to spinous dorsal. Snout rather short and bluntish, 3f in head, its 

 upper profile straight and steep. Eye very large, o^ in head. Inter- 

 orbital space very convex, '6h in head ; preorbital narrow, its least 

 width 7^ in head. Mouth small, oblique, the lower jaw somewhat pro- 

 jecting. Maxillary scaleless, reaching front of orbit, 2| in head. Upper 

 jaw with a broad band of villiform teeth, outside of which is a row of 

 enlarged but comparatively small teeth ; no canines. Lower jaw with 

 one series somewhat stronger than outer teeth of upper jaw; inside of 

 these is a rather broad villiform band of teeth in front of jaw only. 

 Tongue with a very broad irregularly ovate patch of teeth, its width 

 almost as great as width of tongue, Ih in its length ; in front of this 

 patch is a large roundish patch of teeth ; an oblong i^atch of teeth on 

 the hyoid bone. Vomer with a rhomboid (^-shaped) jiatch of teetb, 

 forming almost a right angle in front, with a broadly wedge-shai)ed 

 backward prolongation on the median line, its length about twice its 

 width. Palatine band of teeth very wide. Pterygoids with a large 

 patch of teeth; these teeth undeveloped and covered by skin in young 

 exami:)les. Gill-rakers numerous, the longest about one-half diameter 

 of eye ; about 21 on lower part of arch. Preopercle with posterior 

 margin almost straight and vertical, slightly emarginate, weakly serrate 

 above, the teeth coarser at the angle and on lower border. Poste- 

 rior nostril largest ; nearly round Scales very small, the rows above the 

 lateral line running upward and l)ackward, the rows below rather wavy, 

 almost horizontal. Temporal region covered with small partially im- 

 bedded scales, in 4 or 5 rows; cheeks with 7 rows of scales; 4 rows on 

 interopercle, 3 rows on subopercle, and 7 on opercle. Snout, i)re orbital, 

 mid jaws naked 5 top of Uead .soaly to waw middle of eye, Soft dor,saI 



anrt ftiuil with but few Hoalon ^t ba^o* 



