PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM, 465 



V©1. VII, Mo. 30. U'a!!ihBea^tofii, ». €. Sept. 27, 1884. 



Dorsal spines long and sleuder, tlie fourth spine longest, 2J in head, 

 the length of the spines thence gradually decreasing to twelfth spine, 

 which is 3i^ in head. Margin of soft dorsal truncate, its rays of sub- 

 equal length, 4 in head ; last ray slightly shorter. Caudal deei)ly 

 forked, the upper lobe longer than lower, its length If times middle 

 rays, which are 2 in head ; npper lobe of caudal scarcely shorter than 

 head. Anal similar to soft dorsal, its rays 3 in head ; second anal spine 

 shorter than third, 4 in head. Ventrals H in head. Pectorals some- 

 what falcate, reaching opposite vent, 1^ in head. 



Color in life, vermilion ; paler below. Faint brown lines running ob- 

 liquely forward and downward from dorsal along the rows of scales. 

 Sides with narrow sinuous streaks of golden yellow, some of them longi- 

 tudinal, others oblique. Dorsal rosy, its margin chietly orange ; anal 

 j)ale at base, rosy at extremity ; pectorals yellowish, ventrals rosy, 

 caudal vermilion ; iris vermilion red; inside of mouth dusky. 



The bright colors grow faint or disappear in spirits. 



This species is not nncommon in deep water as far north as Charleston 

 and Pensacola. It is not unfreqnently seen in the markets of Havana, 

 where it is known as Cagon, or Oagon de lo Alto. Specimens from Pen- 

 sacola and Havana are fully identical. 



Specimens from the coast of South Carolina are somewhat deeper 

 than those from Cuba, and with the yellow streaks more pronounced, 

 becoming dark brown in spirits. One of these, in the U. S. National 

 Museum, has 13 dorsal spines. It is not, however, otherwise essentially 

 different. 



We see no reason to doubt that this species is the original GentroprisUs 

 cmroruhens of Cuv. & Val. We therefore adopt the earlier name in- 

 stead of the name elerjans, given to it by Poey. 



The young specimens taken from stomaclis of red snappers, at Pen- 

 sacola, and described by Jordan and Gilbert as Aprion ariommus, seem 

 to be the young of this species. The pterygoid teeth are undeveloped, 

 and covered by skin in young examples. 



v.— Genus TEOPIDINIUS. 



fAi'SXLUS, Cuv. & Val., Hist. Nat. Poiss., vi, 1^30, .548 (fiiscm). 



T];oPiDiNius, (Gill MSS.), Poey, Synopsis Piscium Cubeusiuiu, 1868, 29ii {antillo^ 

 dcntatus). 



This very distinct genus has essentially the cranial structure of 

 T/Kfjanus, with the scaleless fins, peculiar squamation and dentition of 

 A2)rio)i. But one species of the genus is as .vet known, although it is 

 possible that the sauie characters may be found to exist in A2),siius fus- 

 <-us. The description of the latter species does not seem to indicate any 

 very close relation to TropidinhiH dentatu.s. AVe may therefore regard, 

 Tropidinius as generically different from Apsilm. 

 Proc. Nat. Mus. 84 30 



