Jorda7i and Evermann. — Fishes of N'orth America. 1279 



3^ in head; iuterorbital space convex, 3* in head, its median line becom- 

 ing on the occiput a sharp keel; preorbital very narrow, 7f in head; mouth 

 small; maxillary broad, almost reaching pupil, 2i^ in head; upper jaw with 

 a narrow band of villiform teeth, outside of which is a series of larger, 

 which are scarcely large enough to be called canines; lower jaw with a 

 single series of small teeth, about 6 of those in front larger, scarcely 

 caninelike, similar to the larger teeth of upper jaw; inside of this series 

 is a comparatively wide band of villiform teeth in front of jaw only; 

 tongue without teeth ; vomer with a A-shaped patch of teeth, without back- 

 ward prolongation on median line. Gill rakers numerous, the longest 



1 diameter of eye, about 17 on lower half of arch. Preopercle with its 

 posterior margin nearly vertical, very slightly emarginate, scarcely ser- 

 rate except at angle, where the teeth are quite small. Scales rather small, 

 very regularly arranged, the rows running parallel with the lateral line both 

 above and below ; 7 rows on cheek, the scales of upjjer row little enlarged ; 



2 rows on interopercle, 1+ on subopercle, 6 on opercle; temporal region 

 with four rows of moderate scales; top of head, snout, and jaws naked; 

 bases of soft dorsal and anal scaleless. Dorsal hn not strongly emarginate, 

 the spines rather slender, the outline of the fin rather strongly convex, 

 fourth spine longest, 2^ in head, tenth spine 3^ in head ; margin of soft 

 dorsal gently rounded, the middle rays little longer than first rays, 2* in 

 head; last ray not shorter than middle rays; caudal deeply forked, the 

 upper lobe slightly longer than lower, 2^ length of middle rays, which 

 aie 2^ in head; upper lobe about as long as head; margin of anal nearly 

 straight, the rays about of equal length, except the last, which is some- 

 what produced, 2| in head ; first ray reaching about to base of last ray, 

 when the tin is depressed ; anal spines rather Aveak, the third rather longest, 



3 in head; ventrals \l in head; pectorals somewhat falcate, reaching first 

 soft ray of anal, about as long as head. Color in life, dusky violet, paler 

 below ; mouth within and fins all similar in hue, the anal and ventrals with 

 blackish tips ; soft dorsal with some olive shades, the edge grayish. In 

 spirits, nearly uniform dusky gray, paler below. Length 1 foot. West 

 Indies. This beautiful little fish is rather common in the markets of 

 Havana, from which locality came the specimen here described, {dentatus, 

 toothed, the name not characteristic.) 



Apsilus dentatus, GvicaENor, in Eamoii de la Sagra, Hist. Cuba, Poisa., 29, pi. 1, fig. 2, 



1845, Havana; Jordan li: Fesler, I.e., 455. 

 Mesuprton arnillo, Poey, Memorias, ll, 154, 1860, Cuba. 

 Mesoprion dentatus, Gunther, Cat., I, 188, 1859. 

 Tropidinius arnillo, Poey, Synopsis, 296, 1868. 

 Lutjanus arnillus. Cope, Trans. Am. Philos. Soc. 1869, 470. 

 Tropidinius dentatus, J ORDAi^ &, Swain, I. c, 466. 



530. APRION, Cvivier & Valenciennes. 



Aprion, Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vi, 543, 1830 (virescens). 

 I Chcetopterus, Temminck &. Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Poise., 78, 1850 {dubius). 

 Pristipomoides, Bleekek, Natuurk. Tijdschr. Nederl. Ind., in, 1852, 574 (typzis). 

 Platyinius, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Pliila. 1863, 237 {voraz = macrophthalmus). 

 ? Sparopsis, Knkk, Fiscbe Mus. Godefl'roy, 303, 1868 (elongatus). 



