830 Bulletin 4J, Untied Stales A^aiional Museum. 



yoiiug very common at Key West and at Havana; the adult a food-fisb of 

 some importance, (virr/inicun, from Virginia, but the species does not 

 range so far to the northward.) 



Piracoaba, Makcgrave, Hist. Nat. Brazil, 17fi, 1648, Brazil. 



Polyueniiis rinjhiiciix, Linn.kus, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, .317, 1758, America; Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nat. 



Mus., 118,1884; Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 30, 1S80. 

 Polydadyhis pluriiicfii, LAcfepfcoE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 419, 1803, Martinique, from a drawing 



by Plumier. 

 Polynemns phankrii, Gvnther, Cat., ii, 321, 1860; Jordan & Gilbert, SynopBis, 413, 1883. 

 Trichidionplitmieri, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 279, 1861; Poey, Synopsis, 387, 1868. 

 Pohjnemun mango, Lac£pede, Hist, des Poiss., v, 413, 417, 418, 1803, America; based on P. virgini- 



cus, Linn.t:us. 

 Poh/nemns americanns, CuviEU & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., in, 393, 1829, SanDomingo 



(Coll. Ricord); Martinique (Coll. Plee). 

 Puliinemits oligodon,* GCntiier, Cat., ii, 322, 1860, Rio Janeiro. 



1209, POLTDACTTLUS OCTONEMUS (Girard). 



Head 3*; depth 3J. D. VIII-I, 12 or 13; A. Ill, 13 to 15 ; scales 6-70- 

 10. Maxillary less than i length of head ; pectoral filaments 8; l)ody 

 somewhat compressed, elongated, anterior profile nearly straight, little 

 declined. Head much compressed, gape oblique; snout 5 in head; eye 

 less than interorbital space, 4^ in head. Scales rather small. Longest 

 dorsal spine IJ in head ; longest ray of soft dorsal IJ in head ; caudal 

 lobe slightly longer than head, 3i in body ; pectoral fins 11 in head ; 

 pectoral filaments 8, reaching to vent in adult (ocfofilis), longer in young 

 (octonemus). Color light olivaceous, tinged with dark punctulations ; 

 belly whitish ; pectoral black in adult, pale in young. South Atlantic 

 and Gulf Coast of the United States, from New York to the Eio Grande on 

 sandy shores ; scarce ; an adult specimen corresponding to octoflis was 

 taken by Dr. Gilbert at Charleston, S. C, where it is very rare, entirely 

 unknown to the fishermen. Along the Texas Coast the young are more 

 common, these corresponding to the description of octonemus. Octofilis is 

 probably the adult form of Foly dactyl us octonemus, from which it differs 

 only in having darker pectoral fius and shorter pectoral filaments, differ- 

 ences which come with age in other species of PohjdactyliDs, and no doubt 

 in this one also, (o/crw, eight ; vrim, thread.) 



Polijnemm octonemus, Girard, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1858, 167, Brazos Santiago; Gal- 

 veston; young; Gunther, Cat., ii, 320, 1860; Goode & Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1879, 

 128; Jordan & Giltskrt, Synopsis, 413, 1883. 



Trichidion octoJUis, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1861, 280, New York; adult. 



Trichidion octonemtis. Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1861, 280. 



Polynemns octofilis, Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. II. S. Nat. Mu.s., 1882, 590; Jordan & Gilbert, 

 Synopsis, 413, 1883. 



1210. POLTDACTTLUS OPEBCULARIS (Gill). 



Head 3A ; depth 3|. D. VIII-I, 12; A. Ill, 13; scales 8-69 or 75-13. 

 Maxillary more than | length of head ; pectoral filaments usually 9; 



* Dr. Gunther's description is as follows: 



D. VIII-I, 13; A. II, 15; scales 7-70-14. Seven pectoral appendages of moderate length. 

 Distance between root of ventral and origin of anal loss than that between posterior nostril and 

 point of operculum. The villiform teeth of palatine and pterygoid bones form a narrow baud. 

 I'ectorals and top of first dorsal black. 



