﻿126 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  MUSEUM 
  vol.98 
  

  

  the 
  Sciaenidae. 
  ^''Stellifertts 
  naso 
  Jordan," 
  based 
  on 
  specimens 
  from 
  

   Cachiura, 
  Brazil 
  (M.C.Z. 
  Nos. 
  4583 
  and 
  10808), 
  definitely 
  belongs 
  

   to 
  the 
  genus 
  Ophioscion. 
  Specimens 
  of 
  Stellifer 
  microps 
  Steindachner 
  

   (M.C.Z. 
  Nos. 
  4581 
  and 
  1031), 
  from 
  Para 
  and 
  Tonteboa, 
  are 
  Ophioscion 
  

   microps 
  (Steindachner). 
  

  

  Jordan 
  and 
  Eigenmann 
  identified 
  M.C.Z. 
  No. 
  22417 
  as 
  Sciaena 
  

   adusta 
  Agassiz, 
  but 
  my 
  reexamination 
  of 
  this 
  specimen 
  indicates 
  that 
  

   it 
  is 
  Ophioscion 
  punctatissimus 
  Meek 
  and 
  Hildebrand. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  key 
  is 
  intended 
  to 
  separate 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  Ophioscion 
  

   occurring 
  in 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  along 
  the 
  coasts 
  of 
  Central 
  and 
  South 
  America 
  

   and 
  in 
  the 
  West 
  Indies 
  : 
  

  

  la. 
  Dorsal 
  rays 
  usually 
  X-I, 
  28 
  or 
  29; 
  anal 
  rays 
  II, 
  8; 
  gill 
  rakers 
  on 
  first 
  gill 
  

   arch 
  9+1+16; 
  scales 
  50 
  to 
  57; 
  dark 
  streaks 
  commencing 
  at 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  

   back, 
  passing 
  forward 
  and 
  obliquely 
  downward, 
  then 
  a 
  little 
  above 
  lateral 
  

   line 
  bending 
  abruptly 
  downward, 
  almost 
  vertically, 
  disappearing 
  near 
  mid- 
  

   axis 
  of 
  body 
  ; 
  tip 
  of 
  spiny 
  dorsal 
  fin 
  dark, 
  base 
  of 
  dorsal 
  fin 
  with 
  a 
  narrow 
  

   pale 
  or 
  whitish 
  band, 
  above 
  which 
  the 
  fin 
  is 
  abruptly 
  darker 
  ; 
  opercle 
  dusky 
  

  

  (mouth 
  of 
  Rio 
  de 
  La 
  Plata) 
  Ophioscion 
  adustus 
  (Agassiz) 
  

  

  16. 
  Dorsal 
  soft 
  rays 
  fewer 
  than 
  25. 
  

   2a. 
  Anal 
  rays 
  II, 
  9. 
  

  

  3a. 
  Dorsal 
  rays 
  X-I, 
  21 
  ; 
  gill 
  rakers 
  on 
  first 
  gill 
  arch 
  8 
  or 
  9+1+13, 
  totaling 
  

   22 
  or 
  23 
  ; 
  scales 
  about 
  45 
  or 
  46 
  ; 
  eye 
  diameter 
  1.2 
  to 
  1.8 
  in 
  interorbital 
  

  

  space 
  Ophioscion 
  brasiliensis, 
  new 
  species 
  

  

  8&. 
  Dorsal 
  rays 
  XI-I, 
  21 
  or 
  22; 
  gill 
  rakers 
  on 
  first 
  gill 
  arch 
  9 
  to 
  11+1+17 
  to 
  

   19, 
  totaling 
  28 
  to 
  31 
  ; 
  scales 
  about 
  47 
  to 
  51, 
  eye 
  diameter 
  from 
  1% 
  to 
  2% 
  

  

  times 
  in 
  interorbital 
  space 
  Ophioscion 
  microps 
  (Steindachner) 
  

  

  26. 
  Anal 
  rays 
  II, 
  7 
  or 
  8. 
  

  

  4a. 
  Scale 
  rows 
  above 
  lateral 
  line 
  usually 
  51 
  to 
  57. 
  

  

  5a. 
  Gill 
  rakers 
  on 
  lower 
  part 
  of 
  first 
  gill 
  arch 
  usually 
  16 
  to 
  18 
  including 
  

   rudiments 
  ; 
  dorsal 
  rays 
  XI-I 
  (rarely 
  XII-I) 
  21 
  or 
  22 
  ; 
  anal 
  rays 
  II, 
  8 
  ; 
  

   scale 
  rows 
  52 
  to 
  54; 
  color 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  plain 
  grayish 
  above, 
  paler 
  

  

  below 
  Ophioscion 
  venezuelae, 
  new 
  species 
  

  

  56. 
  Gill 
  rakers 
  on 
  lower 
  part 
  of 
  first 
  gill 
  arch 
  11 
  to 
  13 
  (see 
  table 
  for 
  counts) 
  . 
  

   6a. 
  Dorsal 
  rays 
  X-I 
  (occasionally 
  XI-I) 
  , 
  22 
  to 
  24 
  ; 
  anal 
  rays 
  II, 
  7 
  (rarely 
  

   II, 
  6) 
  ; 
  gill 
  rakers 
  7 
  or 
  8+1+11 
  to 
  13; 
  scale 
  rows 
  above 
  lateral 
  

   line 
  about 
  54 
  to 
  57. 
  

  

  Ophioscion 
  punctatissimus 
  Meek 
  and 
  Hildebrand 
  

   66. 
  Dorsal 
  rays 
  X-I, 
  20 
  or 
  21 
  ; 
  anal 
  rays 
  II, 
  7 
  (rarely 
  II, 
  8) 
  ; 
  gill 
  rakers 
  

   7 
  to 
  9+1+13 
  ; 
  scale 
  rows 
  above 
  lateral 
  line 
  about 
  51 
  or 
  52. 
  

  

  Ophioscion 
  panamensis, 
  new 
  species 
  

  

  46. 
  Scale 
  rows 
  above 
  lateral 
  line 
  45 
  to 
  49 
  ; 
  anal 
  rays 
  II, 
  8 
  ; 
  dorsal 
  rays 
  XI-I, 
  

  

  21 
  ; 
  gill 
  rakers 
  8 
  or 
  9+1+14 
  or 
  15; 
  scales 
  46 
  to 
  49; 
  eye 
  diameter 
  1.0 
  to 
  

  

  1.1 
  in 
  interorbital 
  space 
  Ophioscion 
  naso 
  (Jordan) 
  

  

  OPHIOSCION 
  ADUSTUS 
  (Agassiz) 
  

  

  Corvina 
  adusta 
  Agassiz, 
  in 
  Spix 
  and 
  Agassiz, 
  Selecta 
  genera 
  et 
  species 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  

  

  Brasiliam 
  . 
  . 
  ., 
  p. 
  126, 
  1831 
  (Atlantic 
  Ocean 
  off 
  Brazil).— 
  Jenyns, 
  The 
  

  

  zoology 
  of 
  the 
  voyage 
  of 
  H. 
  M. 
  S. 
  Beagle, 
  pt. 
  4, 
  Fishes, 
  p. 
  42, 
  1842 
  (Maldonado 
  

  

  and 
  Montevideo). 
  

   Ophioscion 
  adustus 
  Tortonese, 
  Boll. 
  Mus. 
  Zool. 
  Anat. 
  Comp. 
  Univ. 
  Torino, 
  ser. 
  3, 
  

  

  vol. 
  47, 
  No. 
  100, 
  p. 
  130, 
  1939 
  (Rio 
  de 
  Janeiro 
  and 
  Montevideo). 
  

  

  