Jordan and E7}ermann. — Fishes of North America. 925 



Cheeks closely scaled ; opercles mostly naked below ; a few scales on sub- 

 O'percle and interopercle. Scales on body not very small; breast closely 

 scaled. Lateral line with a moderate curve anteriorly, becoming 8trai"-ht 

 at front of anal, the length of the arch being less than 3 that of straight 

 part; greatest depth of arch about ^ its length. Armature of lateral lino 

 beginning at the curve ; the plates rather large, very broad, 28 in number. 

 Fins with very few scales or none. Spinous dorsal moderate, the spines 

 rather strong, its last spine stout and free, nearly horizontal. Second 

 dorsal falcate, the longest rays more than half length of its base. Poste- 

 rior part of fin rather low, rising well above its low basal sheath of scales 

 which terminates near middle of fin ; anal similar to soft dorsal, its 

 anterior rays more than half base .of fin. Free anal spines moderate. 

 Caudal lobes rather broad, equal, not very long, the upper as long as from 

 snout to edge of opercle, depth of fin from tip to tip about equal to 

 depth of head. Ventral fins short, not filamentous, as long as from snout 

 to end of maxillary. Pectoral extremely long, falcate, reaching to tenth 

 plate of lateral line, or about to seventh anal ray, its length 2| in that of 

 body, less than greatest depth of body. Color sooty blackish, nearly 

 uniform, the belly not paler than back. A black spot at angle of opercle, 

 none on pectoral. Ventrals, anal, and dorsal wholly black, as are the 

 shields of lateral line. Length 18 inches. Rocky islands in the tropics, 

 both in the Atlantic and Pacific. We have compared our specimens from 

 Clarion Island, Revillagigedos, with one of Poey's specimens from Cuba, 

 and with specimens obtained by Dr. Streets. These differ somewhat in 

 form and in the height of fins, but we have no doubt that all belong 

 to the same species, this being another of those common to the two coasts 

 of troi)ical America. The species is rather common about Cuba, where it 

 is regarded as poisonous, and its sale in the markets is forbidden, (hu/ubris, 

 mournful, from its dark color and especially its bad reputation, associated 

 with the dread Ciguatera, a disease arising from fish poisoning.) 



Scomber ascenriouis, Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 33, 1801; not Scomber ascensioms of Osbeck, 



which may be Carunj- gitara. 

 Caranx hignhris, PoET, Memoriae, ll, 222, 1860, Cuba; Jordan it Gilbert, True. U. S. Nat. Mus., 



1881, 227; Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 1883, 201. 

 Caranx frontalis, Poey, Memorias, ir, 222, 18G0, Cuba. 

 Caranx a^ceusionix, Cuvier & Valenciennes, Uist. Nat. Poiss., ix, 102, 1833; Gunther, Cat., ii, 



432, 1860; GtiNTHER, Fische Stidsee, XI, 132, pl.85, 1876; Gunther, Voy. Challenger, Shore 



Fishes, 4,5,1880. 

 Carangus higubris, Poey, Synopsis, 365, 1868. 



1320. CARANX MELAMPIGUS, Cuvier & Valenciennes. 



Head 3^; depth 2f ; eye 2 in length of snout, li in depth of broad pre- 

 orbital, 2i in postorbital part of head, and 2 in interorbital area. Second 

 D. I, 22; A. I, 19; scutes about 35. Body oblong ovate, compressed, the 

 back arched, the profile not steep, the curve from snout to dorsal being a 

 nearly regular arc; ventral outline nearly straight from the chin to front 

 of anal, where an angle is formed with the ascending base of the anal. 

 Head moderate, compressed, not blunt in profile, the occiput and inter- 

 orbital region elevated and considerably carinated. Mouth moderate. 



