Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North America. 1215 



1601. PRIONODES TABACAKIUS (Ouvier & Valenciennes). 



(Jacomk ; Bout de Taiiac.) 



Head 3; depth 3|. D. X, 12; A. Ill, 7; scales 11-90 to !)8-25, 50 to 65 

 pores. Body more elongate than in related species; profile slightly con- 

 vex ; interorbital space concave ; eyes large, longer than snout, 3J in head; 

 maxillary reaching middle of eye; lower Jaw slightly i)rojecting; scales 

 on cheeks small, in 11 series; scales in front of dorsal small, crowded, in 

 25 series ; top of head naked ; gill rakers long, x + 15 ; dorsal spines low, 

 fifth the longest, 2^ iu head; caudal strongly lunate; anal spines gradu- 

 ated, the third 3^ in head; pectorals and ventrals short, not reaching 

 vent. Branchiostegals 7. Color brownish red above, with areas of light 

 yellow on sides of back ; 1 before dorsal, a large one and a small one 

 below spinous dorsal ; a large one below last rays of soft dorsal ; 1 on 

 back of tail ; yellow before eye ; belly and lower parts light red ; top of 

 head with 2 pale cross shades, 1 before and 1 behind eyes ; lower fins light 

 orange; caudal red, with 2 conspicuous longitudinal stripes of blackish 

 red ; dorsal red-shaded, a maroon blotch on each part of it, extending 

 upward from a similar blotch on the back. Length 10 inches. West 

 Indies; our specimens from Havana, where it is rather common, (tahaca- 

 rius, pertaining to tahacum, tobacco, the fish being called hout de iahac 

 (cigar stump) by the negroes at Martinique.) 



Centro^trL^tes labacarins, CuviER & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iii, -14, 182'.t, Martinique. 

 Serranus jacome, Poet, Memorias, i, 57, pi. 2, fig. 1, 1851, Havana. 

 Haliperca kihararia, PoEY, Synopsis, 282, 1868. 

 Haliperca jacome, PoEY, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. T., 1871, 34. 



Serranus tabacarim, Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nut. Mus., 1886, 39; Jordan & Eigenmann, /. c, 408, 

 1890; BoVLENGER, Cat., I, 291. 



160-2. PRIONODES FLATESCEXS* (Cuvier A A'alencicnnes). 



Dorsal IXt, 12; anal III, 7; scales 7-90-27, 60 pores. Depth of body 

 3f times in total length, length of head 3 times. Snout as long as diame- 

 ter of eye, which is 3i times in length of head ; interorbital width 5 

 times in length of head ; lower jaw projecting, with feeble canine teeth 

 on the sides; maxillary extending to below center of eye, the width of 

 the distal extremity i diameter of eye ; upper surface of head naked; 

 cheeks and opercles scaly ; preoperculum finely serrated, the serne 

 coarser at the angle, obsolete on the lower border ; opercular spine 

 strong, equidistant. Gill rakers a little shorter than gill fringes. 14 on 

 lower part of anterior arch. Dorsal originating above base of pectoral, 

 spines subequal, not quite J length of head, f length of longest soft 

 rays; no notch between the spinous and soft portions of the fin. Pec- 

 toral rounded, a little longer than ventral, t length of head. Third anal 

 spine longest, as long as dorsals. Caudal emarginate. Brown above, 

 lighter (orange or red) on the belly; head bluish above; fins dark gray 



* Described from the type specimen (Paris Hus., No. 7028). 



fThe spinous dorsal is malformed in front; the normal number of spines is no doubt X. 



