1254 Bulletin ^y ^ Ihiitcd States N'ational Mnseitm. 



14; A. Ill, 18; scales 6 (4)-50-13; eye 6i in head; snout 2J; maxillary 2|; pectoral IJ; 

 ventral 2; anal 3; third anal spine 5J; caudal IJ; preorbital 3| (4i in smaller specimens 20 

 inches long; 5 in those of 1 foot long). Body very robust, not much compressed, the 

 back not sharp. Head very large ; tbe mouth very large, reaching middle of eye. Canines 

 very strong, in front of jaw and on sides of lower; vomerine teeth in a V-shaped patch, 

 not prolonged behind. Gill rakers 7, very small, the longest less than pupil. Posterior 

 nostril oblong, much longer than anterior. Preopercle slightly notched; 7 or 8 rows of 

 scales on cheek. Dorsal deeply notched, rather low; soft dorsal low and rounded; anal 

 low and rounded; pectoral long and pointed ; caudal short, scarcely concave ; anal spines 

 short, graduated. Scales above lateral line not in a parallel series. Maroon color above, 

 copper-red below, becoming salmon color anteriorly; tins blackish, tinged -with maroon; 

 pectoral dull yellow olive, blackish at tip ; a blackish cross spot on base of pectoral, growing 

 faint with age. Inside of the mouth salmon ; ventral quite dark, the tips black ; iris salmon 

 color; no blue spots or line below ej^e. Young with spinous dorsal edged with black; anal 

 and caudal black; ventrals black tipped ; a blackcrescent on upper part of base of pectoral. 

 Toung 1 fiMit liiiii:. black with progressively less red and narrow preorbital ; color largely 

 blacUisli liim. il A\itli copper on belly and lowerparts. The young are called Pargonegro; 

 the halt j^row II, I'.iigo prieto; the adult, Pargo marefio, or Maroon snapper. This species 

 reaches a much larger size thau any other member of the genus on the Pacific coast, those 

 specimens obtained by us with dynamite among the Venados Islands having a weight of 

 about 25 pounds. It is a food-fish of some importance. It undergoes very considerable 

 changes with age, as thi' notes above show. The yoiing are dark in color, the bodies 

 banded, and the amount of nd very slight. The adult becomes imiformly colored with 

 much red, and with iucroased iige there is a progressive lengthening of the snout and 

 widening of the preorbital. 



1632. NEOM.EMS CYANOPTERUS * (Cuvier & Valenciennes). 



(CUBEEA.) 



Head2f; depth 3; eye rather small, 5| in head. D.X, 14; A. Ill, 8; scales 

 (6) 7-50-12; 50 pores. Body elonj^ate, rather robust, the back little ele- 

 vated ; profile from snout to uape nearly straight ; snout long, thick, rather 

 acute in profile, 3 in head; interorbital space fiattish or gently convex, 6^ 

 in head ; occipital keel low ; preorbital broad, 4f in head ; mouth very large ; 

 maxillary reaching middle of eye, 2\ in head. Canine teeth larger than in 

 any other species, especially those in lower jaw; upper jaw with a narrow 

 baud of villiform teeth, outside of which is a series of strong sharp teeth; 

 4 canines in front, 2 of them very long and strong, their lengths | diam- 

 eter of eye; lower jaw with 5 or 6 very strong caninelike teeth on each 

 side, the largest little smaller than the canines of upper jaw; a few 

 villiform teeth in front of jaw; tongue with a large oblanceolate patch of 

 teeth, pointed behind, its length about twice its greatest width; vomer 



* This species is common in the markets of Havana, where it is known as Cubera. It 

 grows to a very considerable size, and specimens of less than 5 pounds weiglit are very 

 rare in the markets. A sijecimen from Carthagena, United States of Colombia, is in the 

 museum at Cambridge. Tbe species seems to have an iuditferent reputation as a food- 

 fish, being often unsvholesome. It has always a ragged appearance in the market, its 

 scales being less firmly attached than those of other species. This species is very closely 

 related to jV. yriseus, but so far as we have seen the two iiiny always be distinguished by 

 the dificrence in form of the vomerine patih of tii ih and liy the development of the 

 canines of the lowerjaw. These are largeriu X. (•//(///■/'' "•' than in any other American 

 species. This species is almost identical with .\'. inn'mifusciiitiis of the Pacific coast, the 

 somewhat larger mouth being the most mai l\<il |ioiiil of dittercnce. The dusky area or 

 s])ot at base of ]>ectoral is more distinct in thr Atianiii' lorm. L. dentatus of DnrndrJl and 

 M.rjianoptfriis of Cuvicr and Valcncii-nnr-, arc iilmlical with X. oi/bera, Poey. Tliis is 

 shown by the examination of the oiigiuul types. U.partjm, Cuvier and Yalenciennes, is 

 probably the same. 



