352 BULLETIN 100, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



the breeding season. It is produced apparently by muscular move- 

 ment of the air bladder. 



Three nominal forms, not recognized since originally described and 

 of uncertain status, are here appended. 



CoRViNA PUNCTATA Castelnau 



Corvina punctata Castelnau, Mem. Poiss. Afrique Australe, p. 9, 1861 (type 

 locality: Port Natal). — Gilchrist and Thompson, Ann. Durban Mus., vol. 

 1, No. 4, p. 350, 1917 (compiled). 



According to Barnard (Ann. South African Mus., vol. 21, pt. 2, 

 p. 569, 1927) this is not a sciaenoid as it has 3 anal spines. Its formula 

 is given as: D. XI, 14; A. Ill, 9. 



SCIAENA BREVIDOR8ALI8 GUntlier 



Sciaena brevidorsalis Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., vol. 2, p. 295, 1860 (type 

 locality: East Indies?). 



Depth 4; head 4. Snout short, obtuse, shorter than eye; eye 3}^ 

 in head, less than interorbital ; maxillary reaches little beyond center 

 of eye; upper jaw overlaps lower; mouth cleft very oblique; outer 

 row of premaxillary teeth scarcely enlarged; preopercle rounded, 

 denticulate throughout. Scales 47 in lateral line. Suprascapula ver}^ 

 large, would cover eye, edge with flexible setiform teeth. D. X, III, 

 17; A. II, 11, second spine 2% in head; caudal elongated, pointed. 

 Length, 138 mm. (Gunther.) 



A doubtful species with uncertain locality. Giinther says: "This 

 species may be readUy distinguished by the small number of the dorsal 

 rays. At present I know of no better place for it; its physiognomy 

 is not that of a Sciaena." It surely does not seem to agree with any 

 Indo-Pacific sciaenoid known to me. As its locality is in question it 

 may possibly be American, as it suggests Bairdiella chrysura. 



Bairdiella acanthodes (Bleeker) 



Pseudosciaena acanthodes Bleeker, Verh. kon. Akad. Wet. Amsterdam, vol. 18, 



No. 6, p. 29, 1879 (type locality: Japan). 

 Bairdiella acanthodes Jordan and Snyder, Annot. Zool. Japon., vol. 3, pts. 2, 3, 



p. 81, 1901 (name only). — Jordan and Thompson, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 



vol. 39, p. 242, 1911, (on Bleeker). 



Depth 3K; head 3%, width 2. Snout 4 in head from snout tip; 

 eye 4%, 1)^ in snout, 1 in interorbital; maxillary reaches ji in eye, 

 expansion 1% in eye, length 2% in head from snout tip; lower jaw little 

 protruding; teeth anteriorly pluriserial, become biserial on sides of 

 jaws; outer upper teeth conic, well spaced, without canines, inner very 

 small; lower teeth with outer row very small, inner conic, well spaced 

 and not large as outer upper teeth though 2 to 4 somewhat enlarged 

 before symphysis; interorbital 4 in head, low; preopercle serrae strong, 

 especially 2 or 3 at angle and where pointing down. 



