1232 Bulletin 4j, United States National Museum. 



doubted. It is not unlikely that the species is identical with Rypticus 

 xanti. Possibly it is a deeper-water form, analogous to the red forms of 

 certain species of Mijctiroperca. The plate of this species (issued iu 1846) 

 is named ^'lihypticioi hicolor," the name Sincclicns hicolor appearing in the 

 later text (1855). {bicolor, two-colored.) 



Sincclicns hicolor, Valenciennes, Voyage do la A'c'iiu.s, Poissons, 307, pi. ii, fig. 2, 1855, Galapa- 

 gos Archipelago. 

 Rhi/plirus hicolor, Gi'NriiEU, Cat., i, 173. 

 Riipticns hicolor, Jordan & Eigenmann, (. c, 33;t, 1890. 



1618. KTPTICIIS SAPONACEUS (Bloch & Schneider). 



(SOAPFISII ; .TaBON ; .lAIiONCILLO.) 



Head 3 to 3;^ in length : depth 2* to 3i. D. Ill, 23 to 25 ; A. 16 or 17; 

 scales 85 to 90 (pores). Body comparatively deep; young more slender; 

 back elevated ; snout rather pointed ; lower jaw much projecting; ante- 

 rior profile before eye a little concave ; eye 4^^ to 5 in head ; maxillary 

 reaching posterior edge of eye, 2i in head ; preopercle with 2 straight 

 spines behind ; opercle with 3 spines, the middle one largest and nearer 

 the upper than the lower; first and second dorsal spines subequal, the 

 third smallest ; dorsals slightly connected ; ventrals very small, not half 

 longer than eye ; pectorals rounded ; gill rakers very small and short, 

 about 8 developed. Color dusky brown, fins marked with blackish and 

 usually with a narrow pale edge; sides generally with irregular pale 

 spots; back and head usually immaculate. West Indies, Peusacola to 

 West Africa and Brazil; generally common. The best-known and most 

 widely distributed of the soapfishes. Our specimens are from Havana, 

 Peusacola, and Bahia. The young specimens are much slenderer in form 

 and more uniform in color than the adult. (sa2)onaceus, soapy.) 



JahoHcillo, Parra, Difer. Piezas de Hist. Nat., 51, lam. 24, fig. 2, 1787, Havana. 

 AnOdas saponaceiis, Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 310, 1801, Havana (after Parka). 

 Shypticus micropii, Castelnau, Anim. Nouv. ou Bares de I'Amer. du Sud, 6, 1855, Bahia (after 



Perca microps, Broussonet, a MS. name). 

 Ehypticiis sajionaceus, CuviER & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iii, G3, 1820; GCnther, Cat., I, 



172, 1859; Poky, Synopsis, 297, 1868; Boulenoer, Cat., i, 348. 

 Rypticus saponaceiis, Jordan & Eigenmann, I. c, 340, 1890. 



lei'J. RYPTICUS ARENATUS,* Cuvicr & Valenciennes. 



"This fish, which is known only from young specimens, differs from the 

 young U. saponaccits in the larger eye, which exceeds the length of the 

 snout and is less than i the length of the head, and the smaller number 

 of tubes in the lateral line (67 instead of 85 to 90). Gray or pale brown, 

 with blackish dots or small round spots; fins pale. Total length 65 milli- 

 meters." (Boulenger; from Bahia examples.) West Indies and coast of 



*The scanty description of a young example published by Gill, under the name of RhypUcus 

 snhhifrenatmt, seems to approach very closely to R. aremdus. The following is the substance of 

 Dr. Gill's account of R. snhhifrenalns : Color dusky, with remote dark spots; head with 2 scries 

 of spots; one series of 4 between orbit and opercular spine; the other of 3 smaller spots between 

 eye and suprascapula; head 2J in length (V-^ with caudal); depth 3% (4:)/^ with caudal). D. Ill, 

 23; A. 15. 



