Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North America. 829 



Anal fin not much longer than soft dorsal, of about 13 or 14 rays ; vomer 

 with teeth ; preoperculum serrate ; free filaments of pectorals mostly 

 shorter than body. Teeth in villiform bands on both jaws, vomer, pala- 

 tines, and pterygoids. Prcopercle sharply serrated on its posterior mar- 

 gin, its angle with a scaly flap. Scales rather small, finely ctenoid. 

 First dorsal with 7 or 8 feeble, rather high spines, the first and last short. 

 Soft dorsal and anal fins about equaling each other ; pectoral filaments 3 

 to 9. Pyloric coeca in great number. Species numerous, in warm seas. 

 (TToMif, many; ^cmtv^mc^ finger.) 



a. Pectoral filaments 6 (rarely 5). approximans, 1207. 



aa. Pectoral filaments 7. virginicus, 1208. 



aaa. Pectoral filaments 8 or 9. 



h. Maxillary less than ^X^. length of head. Pectoral filaments 8. octonemus, 1209 



Mb. Maxillary more than J^ length of head. Pectoral filaments usually 9. 



OPEKCLI.ARIS, 1210. 



1207. POLYDACTYLUS APPROXIMANS (Lay k Bennett). 



(Raton.") 



Head 3i ; depth 3. D. VIII-I, 12 ; A. Ill, 13 or 14 ; scales 6-62-10. Body 

 rather deep, compressed, the back elevated, anterior profile from snout to 

 spinous dorsal slightly convex ; maxillary 21 in head; snout 7 in head; 

 eye large, less than interorbital sjjace, 5 in head. Scales rather large. 

 Longest dorsal spine \\ in head ; caudal lobes somewhat longer than 

 head ; pectoral fin li in head ; pectoral filaments 6 (rarely 5) in number, 

 longer than head, reaching to front of anal fin in adult. Color yellowish 

 white, darker above ; pectorals black in adult. Length 1 foot. Pacific 

 Coast of tropical America, from Guaymas to Panama ; a common food-fish, 

 known from Guaymas, Mazatlan, Chiapam, Punta Arenas, and Panama. 

 {approximans, approaching.) 



Polynemiis approximans. Lay & Bennett, Beechey's Voyage, Zoiil. Fish., 57, 1849, Mazatlan; 



Gl-NTHER, Fish. Centr. Amer., 423, 18G9; Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. V S. Nat. Mus., 1882, 



365, 376; Jordan, Cat. Fish. N. Amer., 66, 1885. 

 Polynemus cali/orniensis, Thominot, Bulletin de la Societe PhilomatUinue de Paris, Seance du 27 



Juin, 1886, California. 

 Trichidkm approximans, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 258, 1862. 



1208. POLYDACTYLUS TIRGINICUS (Liunaiis). 

 (Barbudo ; Barbu.) 



Head 3i ; depth 3i. D. VIII-I, 9 to 12 ; A. Ill, 13 or 14 ; scales 7-71-10. 

 Body deep, compressed, anterior profile nearly straight ; maxillary 2J in 

 head ; length of snout 5 in head ; eye large, equal to interorbital space, 

 5 in head. Scales moderate. Longest dorsal spine equal to longest ray 

 of soft dorsal and 1^ in head ; caudal lobes about as long as head ; pecto- 

 ral fin \\ in head ; pectoral filaments 7 in number, somewhat longer than 

 head, reaching to front of anal fin, in adult. Color yellowish white, 

 darker above; scales on back with dark punctulations on their margins; 

 the young silvery white. West Indies, north to the Florida Keys, the 



