1274 Btdlctin //, United States National Mnsewn. 



than third, about 5i in head ; pectoral long and falcate, 1^ in head ; ven- 

 trals 1%. Color, in spirits, dark brown; somewhat paler below; center of 

 each scale yellowish-silvery, these forming conspicuous continuous silvery 

 streaks along the back and sides, most distinct near the middle of the 

 body; fins grayish, rather pale; membrane of soft dorsal dusky; ventrals 

 dusky at tips; young with pale crossbands formed by enlargement of the 

 silvery spots in certain regions. In life, dark green, the dark stripes on 

 sides dark brown, the interspaces yellowish- white; belly coppery-red, 

 some bluish on cheeks; pectoral maroon red ; ventrals salmon-red, the first 

 ray white; anal creamy-red; caudal dark red, blackish towards tip; dorsal 

 dusky; throat silvery. Described from a specimen from Mazatlan 16 

 inches in length. Length 2 feet. Pacific coast of tropical America, gen- 

 erally common ; a handsome fish looking quite unlike the others. There 

 is, however, no diiference of importance in the structure of the skull. 

 The squamation is very similar to that of Orthostcechus. {aratus, plowed, 

 for its striped coloration.) 



Mesoprion aratus, Gunther, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1864, 145, Panama ; Chiapas. 

 Lutjanus aratus, Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. V. S. Nat. Mus. 1881, 355; Jordan & Swain, 



I. c, 460 ; Jordan & Fesler, I. c, 451 ; Jordan, Fishes of Sinaloa, in Proc. Gal. Ac. 



Sci. 1895, 457. 



526. RABIRUBIA, Jordan & Fesler. 



Rabirubia, Jordan & Fesler, Kept. IT. S. Fish Corem.1889 (1893), 438 (inermis). 



This genus is closely allied to Ocytirus, having, as in the latter genus, 

 the long fron to-occipital crest continued forward along the top of the head 

 to the nostrils. Parietal crest extending to above eye, coalescing with 

 the orbital rim. The body is rather elongate, the anal fin long and low, 

 and the gill rakers are few and short. One species kuown. (Bahiruhia, 

 Spanish name of Ocyurus chrysnrus.) 



1649. RABIRUBIA IXERMIS (Peters). 



Head 3 in length; depth 3.1; lateral line with 50 tubes; scales 53. D. X, 

 13; A. 111,11. Body slender and fusiform, not strongly compressed, the 

 back not elevated ; snout very pointed ; mouth unusually small, the maxil- 

 lary 2^ in head, reaching to front of pujiil; eye very large, about 4 in 

 head. Band of vomerine teeth slightly produced backward on the median 

 line; teeth on tongue well developed ; canine teeth unusually small and 

 slender, 2 in upper jaw and 3 or 4 on each side of lower. Nostrils well 

 separated, subequal, the posterior oblong, the anterior round. Preorbital 

 I depth of eye; preopercle not serrate, scarcely notched behind; temporal 

 region with a band of large scales, on each side of which are small scales; 

 scales above lateral line arranged in very oblique series, which are not 

 parallel with the lateral line. Pectoral fins very short, reaching little past 

 tips of ventrals, If in head; dorsal spines very slender; second anal spine 

 longer than third, very small, 7 in head; soft dorsal and anal low, scaly; 

 caudal fin rather deeply forked, the middle rays not half the length of the 

 outer, which are li in head. Color in spirits, dusky brown above, pale 

 below, with distinct dark stripes, those below parallel Avith the lateral 



