Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North America. 1263 



long and pointed, 3 in head ; eye rather large, 4 in head ; interorbital space 

 slightly convex, 4* in head, the occipital keel not very prominent; preor- 

 bital rather broad, 5* in head; month rather small; jaws snbeqnal; max- 

 illary reaching front of pnpil, 21 in head; npper jaw with a narrow band 

 of villiform teeth, outside of -which is a single series of well-developed 

 teeth; 4 moderate canines in front of jaw, the 2 longest about i diame- 

 ter of pnpil; lower jaw with a single series of rather large, unequal 

 teeth, inside of which is a very narrow band of villiform teeth in front of 

 jaw only; tongue with an oval patch of teeth, about twice as long as 

 broad, in front of which is a roundish patch; no teeth on hyoid bone; 

 ptreygoids toothless; vomer with a broadly arrow-shaped patch of teeth, 

 with a backward prolongation on median line somewhat longer than width 

 of the patch in front. Gill rakers slender, their length almost equal to 

 \ diameter of eye, about 11 developed below the angle, in front of these 

 about 5 rudiments. Preopercle with posterior limb slanting slightly 

 downward and forward, with a broad and rather shallow emargination, 

 its margin tinely serrate above ; coarser teeth at the angle and on lower 

 limb ; posterior nostril oval. Scales very small, the rows running obliquely 

 upward and backward above the lateral line, the rows being almost hori- 

 zontal; 7 rows of scales on cheek, 2 rows on interopercle, 1^ rows on sub- 

 opercle, and about 8 on opercle ; temporal region with 1 row of large 

 scales behind which are smaller ones; top of head, snout, and jaws naked; 

 bases of soft dorsal and anal scaly. Dorsal spines rather strong, the outline 

 of fin rather strongly convex and without deep emargination, fourth spine 

 longest, 2:i in head; the tenth, 3;| in head ; margin of soft dorsal straight- 

 ish, rounded behind, the ninth ray longest, \\ length of first and two times 

 last ray, 21 in head; caudal lunate, the upper lobe slightly longer than 

 lower, its length 1* times middle rays, which are 2 in head; margin of 

 anal angulate, the middle rays longest, 2 times length of last ray, 1* 

 in head, the first ray reaching almost to tip of last ray, when the fin is 

 depressed; ventrals If in head; pectorals not quite reaching front of anal, 

 li in head; second anal spine slightly longer than third. Si in head. 

 Color in life, bright rose-color, paler below, some narrow, undulating, 

 light golden streaks following the rows of scales above the lateral line; 

 iris always bright yellow (an important color mark); mouth reddish 

 within; traces of dark lateral spot in most specimens; dorsal rosy, its 

 base pale, its edge yellow ; caudal rosy, dusky behind, sometimes blood- 

 red at tip ; pectorals very pale yellow, ventrals and anal pale rosy, the 

 latter yellowish behind. The bright colors all fade and disappear in 

 spirits. The scales of the upper parts, in spirits, are marked with dark 

 dots, which form streaks along the rows of scales. Described from a spec- 

 imen from Cuba, 10 inches in length. West Indies. A handsome species, 

 rather common in the markets of Havana, where it is known as the jMrfifo 

 de lo alto. When fresh it may always be known by the bright yellow color 

 of the eye, a color which does not entirely fade in spirits. (From the 

 French name vivanet, used at Martinique, probably allied to vivax, "lively.") 



Mesoprion vivanus, Cdvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Pois.s., n, 454, 1828, Martinique. 

 Mesoprimi profu7idus, POEY, Memoria.s, n, 150,1860, Cuba; Jordan & Swain, l.c.,iU. 



