1338 Bulletin //, United States National Mziscum. 



Pristipoma chalceum, Gunthee, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1864, 146, Panama. 

 Pristipoma kjieri, Steindachner, Ichth. Notizen, viii, 3, 1869, Mazatlan. 

 Orthopristis chalceus, Evermann & Jenkins, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1891, 149; Jordan &. 

 Fesler, t. c.,499; Jordan, Fishes of Sinaloa, 463, 1895. 



1710. ORTHOPRISTIS CHRYSOPTEUUS (Linuspus). 



(PiGFisH; Sailor's Choice; Hogfish.) 



Head 3i ; depth 2|. D. XII or XIII, 16 ; A. Ill, 12 or 13 ; scales 10-60-19 ; 

 maxillary 3^; eye.5 iu head; preorbital 3^ ; jiectorall^; snout 2;J; highest 

 dorsal spine 2|; second anal spine ^)i; longest anal ray 3; base soft dorsal 

 in spinous IJ. Body ovate-elliptical, somewhat elevated at shoulders, con- 

 siderably compressed. Snout long and sharp, jaws equal, each with a 

 narrow band of slender teeth, the outer above a little larger; maxillary 

 not reaching to eye; preopercle very slightly serrate above, the serrte 

 blunt, obsolete below; gill rakers short and slender, 7 + 12. The crown, 

 cheeks, and pieces of the gill cover covered with small scales; snout in 

 advance of the nostrils, suborbitals, and lower jaw naked; dorsal and 

 anal spines inclosed in a deep scaly sheath, the soft rays naked. Outline 

 of dorsal very slightly notched; anal rather high, second anal spine 

 shorter than third; Electoral shortish, reaching past tips of ventrals; 

 caudal well forked, the upper lobe the longer. Pyloric coeca 6. Color in 

 life, light blue above, shading gradually into silvery below; preorbital 

 and snout of a clear sky-blue; a dash of blue on each side of upper lip; 

 each scale on body with a blue center, the edge with a bronze spot, these 

 forming on back and sides very distinct orange-brown stripes along the 

 rows of scales, those above the lateral line extending obliquely upward 

 and backward, those below being nearly horizontal; snout with bronze 

 spots; 1 or 2 cross lines connecting front of orbits; 2 or 3 oblique lines on 

 preorbital, besides numerous bronze spots larger than those on the body; 

 preorbital also with dusky shades, one of which extends on upper lip ; 

 cheeks and opercles with distinct bronze spots, larger than those on 

 body; inside of mouth pale; inside of gill cavity tinged with golden; 

 dorsal translucent, with about 3 bronze longitudinal shades, composed of 

 spots, those of soft dorsal most distinctly spot-like; edge of fin dusky; 

 caudal plain, yellowish at base, dusky toward the tip ; anal whitish, its 

 edge dusky, its base shaded with bronze; pectorals and ventrals yellow- 

 ish, the latter darker at tip. Fresh specimens show no trace of vertical 

 bands. In examples preserved in alcohol the yellowish and blue mark- 

 ings gradually disappear and dark cross shades become apparent. A 

 specimen ,5 years in alcohol shows the following coloration: Silver-gray, 

 with faint streaks along the rows of scales; a distinct narrow dusky band 

 from front of spinous dorsal through base of pectorals; behind this 7 or 8 

 cloudy, obscure bands, alternately broad and narrow; a horizontal dusky 

 shade behind eye; spinous dorsal with a faint medium pale shade; soft 

 dorsal with 3 rows of faint spots ; other fins nearly plain. Length 12 to 15 

 inches. South Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States; a common 

 and valued food-fish, abundant along the sandy shores of the eastern 



