Jordan and Evennann. — Fishes of North America. 1615 



where crossed by the hands; caudal and pectorals plain, ventrals deep 

 brownish red. Key West. Two specimens are known, both young. The 

 adult will probably be found to approach the Brazilian species, Soracn- 

 Uchthys spletideiis (Castelnau) in form and coloration, probably having the 

 2 dorsal spines lower and the ventrals longer than in the young. The 

 young of XovdcuUchthijs splendens has the caudal barred, while in X rosipes 

 it is plain ; we have noticed no other characters by which the young of 

 the 2 can be separated. The adult of Xovaculichthys splendens has an 

 inky-black lateral blotch surrounded by silvery, (roseiis, rosy ; jjes, foot, 

 from the red ventrals.) 



Xyrichthys ro«y«s, JORDAN & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1884, 27, Key West (Coll. 

 Jordan) ; Jordan, Review Labroid Fishes, 658, 1890. 



202.5. NOYACILICHTHYS YEXTRALIS (Be.au). 



HeadSf; depth 3+. D. IX, 12; A. Ill, 12; Y. I, 5; P. 11; scales 2-26-8. 

 Body compressed, of moderate height; upper profile of head not forming 

 a very sharp edge ; profile descending in a very regular curve from begin- 

 ning of dorsal to tip of snout; snout comparatively short and blunt; pre- 

 orbital low, its width at angle of mouth equaling length of eye; maxillary 

 scarcely reaching vertical from front of orbit, 3i iu head. Two strong 

 canines in front of each jaw, those of the mandible being received within 

 the maxillary canines; both sets of canines with a lateral and backward 

 curve; no posterior canines. Eye di.stant from upper profile only about 

 ^ of its diameter, which is contained li times in its distance from tip of 

 snout, and 4^ times in length of head with opercular flap; a few faint 

 rudiments of scales behind and below orbit; interorbital width equal to 

 short diameter of eye ; snout 3 iu head ; first 2 dorsal spines flexible, slen- 

 derer than the others, but not evidently dift'erentiated from the rest of the 

 fin; length of first spine almost I that of head; second spine slightly 

 shorter than the first; third spine 3 in head; 'ninth spine slightly hmger 

 than third ; first soft ray 2* iu head ; last ray .5 in body ; anal spines mod- 

 erate, the third as long as third spine of dorsal ; last anal ray I as long as 

 head; caudal slightly rounded, 6 iu Iwdy; first ventral ray produced, 

 extending to base of fourth anal ray ; pectoral as long as head without snout. 

 Lateral line piercing 20 scales before the interruption, which occurs under 

 tenth ray of dorsal. Color in spirits, purplish-gray; a broad streak of 

 solferino in middle of sides, beginning near head and extending back to 

 above middle of anal, the width of this stripe uncertain, but probably twice 

 that of the eye; iris solferino with a narrow light circle around pupil; 

 several narrow stripes a little darker than the body color from the eye over 

 preorbital and cheek ; a similar stripe running almost vertically on oper- 

 cle; dorsal mottled with dusky; other fins pearly, except caudal, which 

 is slightly dark, with a light margin, and anal, which shows some faint 

 mottlings in alcohol. Another young individual 57 mm. long is probably 

 of the same species. The first 2 dorsal spines are flexible, the others stiff; 

 the ventral scarcely reaches the anal origin; across the top of the head 

 and back are 9 or 10 light blotches, some of these being continued down 



