1446 Bulletin 77, United States National Museum. 



cavernous ; snout bluntish, not projecting beyond the premaxillaries, its 

 lengtli \.\ iu head; lower jaw included, the tip produced into a short hut 

 distinct symphyseal knob; mouth large, very oblique, the maxillary 

 (measured from front of snout) equaling length of snout and eye, 2^ in 

 head. Teeth in narrow villi form bands in both jaws, widest in sides of 

 premaxillaries; none of the teeth enlarged; lips thin; mental and rostral 

 pores nunute; interorbital space transversely convex, 2| to 2i'V in head; 

 supraorbital ridges prominent; preopercle with a wide membranous bor- 

 der which is strengthened near the angle with diverging ribs; a single, 

 rather stiff spine directed backward, immediately above the angle. Gill 

 rakers numerous, long and slender, about 20 on horizontal limb of arch, 

 the longest \ the diami^ter of orbit. Eye large, elliptical, the long axis 

 oblique, equaling distance from tip of snout to front of pupil. Fins 

 high, densely scaled, including the spinous dorsal; first and second dorsal 

 spines rather strong and stiff, the third and succeeding spines flexible ; 

 third spine longest, 1| in head; the ninth spine is shortest, the tenth and 

 eleventh longer, belonging to the soft dorsal; last 3 spines stronger 

 and rigid; second anal spine long and rather slender, 2+ to 2? in length 

 of head ; longest anal ray Ij to If in head ; anal basis long, equaling length 

 of snout and eye; caudal double truncate, almost lanceolate, the middle 

 rays much produced, \\ or \\ in head; pectorals long, reaching beyond 

 vent, \\ in head; ventrals not nearly reaching vent, li to If iu head. 

 Scales thin, deciduous, weakly ctenoid ; head completely scaled. Color 

 nearly uniform grayish silvery above, bright silvery below; fins slightly 

 dusky ; mouth and gill cavities silvery white, a blackish blotch iu the 

 region of the pseudobranchia-. Seven specimens known, all from Panama 

 Bay, the longest about 6 inches long. (Gilbert.) (C^c^rtic, soft-boiled; 

 Kapa, head.) 

 StelUfer zestocarus, Gilbert MS., Fishes of Panama, 1898, Panama. (Coll. C. H. Gilbert.) 



582. OPHIOSCION, (iill. 



Ophioscion, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1863, 164 (typicut). 

 Sigmurus, Gilbert, new subsenus (vennicularis). 



This genus is composed of small species, nearly all American, allied to 

 Sciwna {Sciama umbra L.), but difl'eriug in the armature of the preopercle, 

 its bony margin being at all ages armed with strong persistent serra', 

 the lowermost teeth not directed forward. The caudal fin in this group is 

 never lunate; the soft dorsal and anal are scaly; teeth in bands; gill 

 rakers rather short. (o0i5, snake; dxiov, Scitvna.) 



OpHIOSCION : 



I. Caudal fin convex or double truncate, the middle rays longest; teeth in the lower 

 jaweiiual, in a villiforiu band. 

 a. Caudal lanceolate, as long as head in adult; soft dorsal rays 21 to 23. 



6. Anterior profile of head not concave; caudal moderate, shorter than head. 



D. X-I, 22 or 23 ; head low, subconic ; maxillary 3J in head. Colorsoiled 



brassy, with dark streaks along the rows of scales. adustus, 1829. 



bb. Anterior profile of head more or less concave, especially in old examples ; 



caudal lanceolate, as long as head. Color grayish ; the fins largely black. 



