Jordan and Evcrmajin. — Fishes of North America. 2857 



size of the preopercnlar serrations, those at the angle not elongated and 

 spine-like, even in the young. The following description is furnished by 

 Dr. Gilbert: 



1023(a). LOBOTES PACIFICUS, Gilbert, now species. 

 (Berrugate.) 



Head 2f in length; depth 2\ to 2^- (to base of caudal rays); depth of 

 caudal peduncle 2A in head. D. XII, 15; A. Ill, 11; pectoral 15. Scales 

 11-46 (+6 ou base of caudal)-18; vertebne 12 + 12; Er. 6. Body more 

 elongated than L. snrinamensis, agreeing in this respect with L. erate, 

 the depth less than ^ the length. Upper profile deeply concave at occi- 

 put, thence strongly convex to front of dorsal ; head shorter and narrower 

 than in L. surinamensis, the iuterorbital width but slightly longer than 

 snout, Syo to 4 in head (3f to 31 in head in L. surinamensis). Eye small, 

 6| to 7i in head, 2 or 2-,-V in iuterorbital width. Mandible strongly pro- 

 truding, but without symphyseal knob; maxillary narrow, not concealed 

 in closed mouth, its tip reaching vertical from mi<ldle of pupil, 2^ to 2i^f 

 in head. Upper jaw with a moderate villiform band of teeth, in front of 

 which is a single series of conical, close-set canines; lower jaw with a sin- 

 gle series, similar to outer series of upper jaw, and behind them a very 

 narrow band of villiform teeth, which grow slightly larger toward sym- 

 physis; palate toothless. Posterior margin of preopercle vertical, the 

 angle protruding but little in the young. In 5 young examples, 7 to 11 

 inches long, the preoi)ercular teeth are line, acute, short, and inconspicu- 

 ous, about as in species of Pomndasis. They increase but little in size 

 toward the angle, where they are never spine-like; on lower limb they 

 are perceptible only in the immediate vicinity of the angle, the remain- 

 der of the horizontal limb being entire. In the adult the vertical 

 limb is finely and evenly toothed, the angle and lower limb slightly 

 roughened or entire; opercle with 2 short spinous points, behind the 

 lower of which a narrow tongue-shaped process of the subopercle ex- 

 tends to near the edge of opercular membrane; humeral process very 

 weakly toothed, contrasting with the strong serrate condition in L. suri- 

 namensis. Gill rakers short, 2^ in eye in young, comparatively shorter in 

 adults, 6 on vertical limb, all but one of which are liroad, firmly fixed 

 tubercles, 14 on horizontal limb, the anterior 2 or 3 tubercular. Spinous 

 dorsal low, with gently rounded outline; notch between dorsals shallow, 

 the eleventh spine f the length of the longest, which is contained 2 to 2|- 

 times in head in the young, 3 times in adults; when declined the spines 

 are partially received within a scaly grove; soft dorsal, anal, and caudal 

 with dorsal portions densely scaled and with series of scales running up 

 on membrane to bej'ond middle of fin; soft dorsal and anal of equal 

 height, forming bluntly rounded lobes, the longest rays of which are 

 about I head in adults, \l to 1| in young; third anal spine about i length 

 of longest ray; pectorals shorter than veutrals, 2 to 2^ in head; ventrals 

 1| in head in young, shorter in adults. Scales less strongly ctenoid than 

 in L. surinamensis; tubes of lateral line mostly simple, occasionally with 

 1 to 3 branches. Color grayish or brownish, with plumbeous or silvery 

 reflections. The youngest examples show faintly the dark streaks so con- 

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