Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of N'o7ih America. 1299 



Diabasis parra, Desmabest, Prem. Decade Ichtli., 30, pi. 2, fig. 2, 1823, Havana. 

 Heemulon caudimacula, Cuvier, Regne Animal, Ed. 2, ll, 17G, 1829, Brazil ; Havana; 



on JJrihaco, Marcgrave, and .Diabase de Parra, Desmarest ; Cua'ier & Valenci- 

 ennes, Hist. Nat. Poi8s.,v, *e«.1830; Gunther, Cat., i, 313; Poet, Ptepertorio, i. 310, 

 1867; Jordan & Gilbert, Bull. U. S. Fish Comm. 1881, 322 (redescription of original 

 type). 



Heemulon chromis, Broussonet, MS., in Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hi.st. Nat. Poiss., v, 242, 

 1830, Jamaica ; Gunther, Cat., i, 310. 



Heemulon acutum, Poey, Memorias, ii, 180, 1860, Cuba; Jordan & Swain, I. c, 294. 



Heemulon serratum, Poey, Memorias, ii, 181, 1860, Cuba. 



Hcenndon albidum, Poey, Memorias, ri, 181, 1860, Cuba. 



Heemulon canna, Agassiz, Spix, Pisc. Brasil., 130, pi. 69, 1829; not of Cuvier & Valen- 

 ciennes. 



Diabasis chromis, Jordan &l Gilbert, Synopsis, 924. 



Heemulon parra, J OVLHAS & Fesleb, I.e., 471. 



1667. HJ;MUL0\ SCUDDERI,* Gill. 



(MOJARRA PRIETA.) 



Head 3i; depth 2\. D. XI, 16 (sometimes XII, 15) ; A. Ill, 7; scales 5f- 

 49-13 ; eye large, 4 in bead. Body short and deep, deeper than in H. parra, 

 the back compressed and arched; anterior profile very steep and nearly 

 straight from the tip of the snout to the nape, then evenly convex; snout 

 low and short but not obtuse, its length in specimens of moderate size, 3 

 in head; mouth comparatively small, the maxillary extending in adult 

 barely to front of pupil, its length 2| in head ; lower jaw slightly included. 

 Teeth moderate, the posterior teeth of lower jaw largest. Interorbital 

 space convex, its width 3|^ in head; preorbital rather deep, its least 

 breadth 5 in head ; preopercle rather strongly serrate; the teeth near the 

 angle larger and farther apart than the others. Gill rakers rather small, 

 about 7 + 12. Scales rather large; those above lateral ^llne somewhat 

 enlarged, notably larger than those below, and arranged in very oblique 

 series; series of scales from scapular scale reaching fifth dorsal spine; 

 soft fins well scaled. Dorsal spines stout, the fourth highest, 2 in head; 

 longest soft rays 3^ in head ; upper caudal lobe If; longest anal rays 2i in 

 head, reaching, when depressed, beyond the tip of the last rays, the free 

 margin of the fin straight; second anal spine longer and stronger than 

 third, 2i'o in head, reaching, when depressed, nearly to the tip of the last 

 ray; ventrals 1^ in head; pectorals long, 1,^, in head. Coloration pre- 

 cisely as in Heemulon parra and undergoing the same changes with age. 

 Adult, in spirits, dull pearly grayish, light or dark, with a roundish dusky 

 blotch at base of each scale of back and sides, these not coalescent, but 

 forming dark interrupted lines in the direction of the rows of scales; 

 bead unspotted, a black blotch under angle of preopercle; fins dusky 

 grayish, the pectorals palest. In life, adult with the back bright yellow- 

 olive to opposite front of dorsal, the posterior half of body more or less 



* This species is the Pacific representative of Heemulon parra. It reaches a similar 

 size, is equally abundant, and passes through a similar range of variations and coloration. 

 The raa.iority of the specimens known from Mazatlan and Panama have 11 dorsal spines 

 and correspond to Heemulon undt'cinialr of Steindachner. Still others of them have, how- 

 ever, 12 dorsal spines, as in the oi'ii;iiial types of H. scudderi and H. brevirostrum. We 

 are unable to detect any other difteiinci' oi' importance among these specimens, and refer 

 all to H. scudderi, regarding it as a sjmiie.s uitli the nuinber of spines indifl'erently U or 

 12. No other species of Heemulon eviu- lias fewer spines than 12. 



