]220 Bulletin ^y, United States National Museum. 



fin; pectoral red ; ventral blackish. (Giinther) ; description of types, 2 

 specimens, 4 inches long, from Trinidad. ((V'?, twice; cixilw:, spot; ovpa, 

 tail.) 



Centropristis dispilurus* Gunther, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 18G7, 9'.t, Trinidad. 

 1607. DULES AURIGA, Cuvier & Valenciennes. 



Head 2t ; depth 2*; ejeSi; snout 4. D. X, 13; A. Ill, 7; scales 6-48-15, 

 pores 45 to 50. Branchiostegals 6, the first being obsolete. Body rather 

 deep and compressed; anterior profile steep and nearly straight ; mouth 

 rather small, the lower jaw protruding; preorbital rather narrow, as 

 broad as pupil ; top of head naked ; the frontal area large and well defined, 

 broader than long ; occipital crest low and short, shorter than the frontal 

 area; teeth small, with no marked canines; gill rakers rather short and 

 slender, x + 9, besides rudiments (12 to 14 in all) ; maxillary 2| in head ; 

 scales large, those above in series parallel with the lateral line ; scales on 

 breast small; third dorsal spine extremely long, reaching beyond middle 

 of soft dorsal ; other spines all short and even; soft dorsal moderate, a 

 little scaly at base; dorsal not notched; caudal truncate; second anal 

 spine 2^ in head, as long as third, and a little stouter; pectoral lyV in 

 head. Coloration in spirits, brownish ; a dark area from front of anal up 

 to soft dorsal ; before this a whitish area, upper parts with dark streaks 

 along the rows of scales, these faint and not continuous ; a dark band 

 upward from middle of base of ventrals ; fins clouded. Length 10 inches. 

 Coasts of Brazil and Uruguay; said to range occasionally northward; 

 once reported by De Kay from New York, probably by error. Our descrip- 

 tion from several specimens (4531, M. C. Z.), the longest about 5j inches 

 long, collected by Professor Agassiz at Rio de Janeiro, {auriga, a coach- 

 man, from the whip-like dorsal spine.) 



Dules auriga, CuviEU & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., Ill, 112, pi. 51, 1S29, Brazil; De Kay, 

 New York Fauna: Fishes, 34, pi. 10, fig, 34, 1842; Jenyns, Zoiil. Beagle, Fislies, 16, 1840; 

 Castelnau, Anini. Nouv. ou rares Amer. Sud, 6, 1855; Gunther, Cat., i, 266; Jordan & Gil- 

 bert, Synopsis, 542, 1883 (description from the original type); Jordan, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. 

 Phila., 1884, 98; Jordan & Eigenmann, I. c, 395; Berg, Enum. Pesces Argentina y Uru- 

 guaya, 45, 1895. 



* Centroprvilis (Jisjjiinnts, from Trinidad, is said to have the dorsal x, 12, the dorsal spot small, 

 and the pectorals rod; otherwise the description agrees entirely with Dules subligarius. With the 

 account of (Uspihirux the short description given by Cuvier and Valenciennes of Dules flavirentris 

 is in jierfect agreement. One of the types of Brisout de Barneville's Centropristis branilieiisis is 

 preserved in the museum at Paris, where it has been examined by us. It is .095 millimeters in 

 length, and was sent from the museum at Geneva. This specimen has the dorsal rays x, 12, 

 the dorsal spot obscure and diffuse, but is otherwise similar to subligoriiis. A 11 specimens have the 

 second anal spine long, the caudal barred, a white bar before anal, the caudal truncate, with other 

 characters, which readily distinguish this species from all others related to it. It is not unlikely, 

 therefore, thut suhligarius, hriisilieiisis,Jlavirentris, and dispilm-us aro synonyms of aiiriga. If 2 species 

 exist, siibliynriHS, the northern form, would be separated from the miriga by the presence of 

 13 dorsal rays, l)y having tlio pectoral fin barred like the caudal, and the black spot on the dor- 

 sal very large. It may be, however, tha.t nnrign or brasiliensis represents the adult of the sjiecies, 

 auriga or disjiihinis ynnngcr specimens, and snblignrius those still younger. In the type of br<isiUe)i- 

 s/s the head is consiiierably less slender than iusnhligarius. This is probably amatter uf aire. This 

 species reaches but a small size, none of the known s|iecimens being 6 inches in lenirtli, the 

 largest of siihtiguriiis but 4. Dr. Boulenger places all these nominal species in thesynonymy of Dules 

 auriga, regardiiii; Jhirirenlris as the female and auriga as the male. Dr. Carlos Herg (Enum. 

 Peces Argentlii:i y t'ruguaya, p. 45, 1895^ readies the same conclusion. He remarks: "Most 

 male examples liave the wiiite ventral spot which Cuvier A Valenciennes indicate only in the 

 female, Dtites flaviventris." Dules subligarius is certainly different from Dules auriga bothiu form and 

 color. 



