258 BULLETIN 100, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Dorsal IX, 16 or 17, last spine long as first soft ray or 3 in total 

 head; A. Ill, 18, like dorsals, last spine ^%; caudal small, emargi- 

 nate; least depth of caudal peduncle 2%; pectoral 1; ventral 2^. 



General color silvery. Upper parts blue and sides with copper 

 tinge. Faint longitudinal lines, due to center of scales rather obscure. 

 Eye yellow. Spinous dorsal purple, soft parts rather yeUow. Caudal 

 yellow. Paired fins pink. 



The above from Castelnau, Steindachner, and Ogilby. 



Family MULLIDAE 



Body oblong, elongate, little compressed. Head small, upper 

 profile nearly parabolic. Eye moderate, larger in young, elevated, 

 median or posteromedian. Maxillary partly slips below preorbital. 

 No supplementary maxillary. Mouth small, somewhat protractile, 

 subterminal. Teeth feeble, viUiform, in bands in jaws, often on 

 vomer and palatines. Chin with 2 long simple barbels. Nostrils 

 paired, far apart. Gill membranes free from isthmus. Gills 4, slit 

 behind fourth. Pseudobranchiae present. Branchiostegals 4. Air 

 bladder usually present, simple. Pyloric coeca few or moderate in 

 number. Scales large, cycloid or finely ctenoid. Lateral line com- 

 plete, simple, tubes often branched. Dorsals 2, well separated, both 

 short, spines of first 6 to 8. Anal short, with 1 or 2 small weak spines. 

 Caudal forked. Ventrals thoracic, with spine, 5 rays and axillary 

 flap. 



Fishes of moderate or smaU size, most all noted for their brilliant 

 colors, of which red and yellow are most frequent. Most all are 

 valued food fishes, with excellent flavor and tender white flesh. Those 

 known to the ancients were highly prized. Goatfishes are found in 

 all tropical seas, the individuals often numerous. Some range into 

 temperate regions, others enter estuaries, though none dwell in fresh 

 water. The eggs are pelagic. These fishes are bottom inhabitants, 

 swimming about with their barbels constantly in motion. By means 

 of these tactile organs they feel or touch most all objects in their 

 incessant search of food in the form of small marine animals. 



MULLUS ERYTHBAEXTS SaUVEge 



Mullus erythraeus Sattvage, Bull. Soc. Philom. Paris, ser. 7, vol. 5, p. 101, 1881 

 (type locality : Red Sea) . 



Depth 5K in total; head 4. Snout very long. Maxillary reaches 

 opposite front eye edge. Vomerine plate large, emarginate behind. 

 Length, 200 mm. (Sauvage.) 



This doubtful species may not belong in the Atlantic genus Mullus 

 Linnaeus. It is said, however, to be very near Mullus surmuletus, 

 differing in the more elongate snout, forehead oblique to front of eye 

 or not swollen. 



