1108 Bulletin 4y, United States National Museum. 



1500. APOGON nOVII, GUnther. 



Heafl 2J; depth 3; eye large, less than 3 in head. D. VI-I, 9 ; A. II, 8; 

 scales 3-25-9. Palatine and vomerine teeth present ; upper jaw slightly 

 overlapping the lower; maxillary extending backward to below the pos- 

 terior third of the orbit. Operculum with an upper flexible point, and 

 with a lower stiff spine. The third dorsal spine a little longer than the 

 second, \ the length of the head, \ height of longest ray of second dor- 

 sal. Caudal fln slightly emarginate, with the angles rounded. Only the 

 hind margin of the posterior preopercular ridge is serrated. A roundish 

 black spot on each side of the root of the caudal ; the spinous dorsal 

 colorless, transparent ; uniform olive (in spirits); head densely punctu- 

 lated with brown. Length 2^ inches. Mazatlan to Panama ; generally 

 common southward. Very close to Apogon imherMs. (Named for Capt. 

 John M. Dow, its discoverer.) 

 Apogon dovii, Gunther, Proc. Zoijl. Soc. Loud., 1861, 371, Panama. (Coll. Dow.) 



1501. APOGON RETROSELLA (Gill). 

 (Cardenal.) 



Head 2f ; depth 2i to ^', scales 2*-26-9. Dorsal VI-I, 10; anal II, 7; 

 eye 2| to 3J in head ; maxillary If; snout 31 to 4|; interorbital space 4; 

 height of first dorsal 11; of second dorsal If; caudal 1\ in head; pec- 

 toral If; ventral If. Body rather plump, not much compressed, the pro- 

 file rising steeply from snout to first dorsal. Caudal iieduncle long and 

 strong; eye very large; mouth large, oblique, the maxillary opposite 

 posterior margin of pupil. Teeth small, the outer scarcely enlarged. 

 Premaxillary protractile; no supplemental maxillary. Preopercle mi- 

 nutely serrulate on its vertical margin only, these serrulations soft and 

 easily rubbed off in the adult, distinct in the halfgrown. Bright scarlet, 

 much dotted with black ; cheek with many dark points ; a diffuse dark 

 blotch on opercle ; a diffuse black blotch at base of caudal ; first dorsal 

 with triangular red area in front of base ; second dorsal red at base, the 

 anterior half jet black above the red, the posterior half translucent; from 

 black anterior rays a rather faint black saddle falls to middle of side ; 

 caudal red at base, upper and lower lobes black, the middle pale ; anal red 

 at base, the anterior rays black, the posterior pale; pectoral white, the 

 base deep scarlet ; ventral white, red at base, blackish at tip ; opercle red- 

 dish within, with some dusky. Young more sharply colored, with less 

 black on fins, the spots on body more distinct. Color of half-grown exam- 

 ples scarlet, deeper below and on tail, fading on fins; second dorsal, anal, 

 and caudal tipped with blackish ; an oblong inky spot at middle of base 

 of caudal ; an inky bar below soft dorsal extending to level of pectoral 

 and spreading on base of soft dorsal ; a black bar from snout through eye 

 to gill opening, broader and clearer behind, overlaid by reddish, a fainter 

 dusky band below parallel with it. Length 4 inches. Pacific Coast of 

 Mexico ; about rocks ; known from Cape San Lucas, and from the ^^enados 



