582 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 112 



in a spine which diminishes with growth. Cleithral spine prominent, 

 laterally compressed, and curved posteriodorsally. Scales present on 

 body and extending onto fleshy part of caudal fin; scales absent on 

 head, an area posterior to pectoral fin bases, the throat and abdomen, 

 a small area posterior to the bones on top of the head, and a narrow 

 area along the anal fin base; the scales small and deeply embedded in 

 smaller specimens (the largest scale found on a 57.5-mm. specimen 

 had a maximum diameter of 0.19 mm.). Lateral lines on each side 

 of body extending from head along back close to dorsal fin, bending 

 down to middle of caudal base, and ending between and nearly at 

 ends of central caudal rays. 



Color: At about 47 mm. S.L. (holotype description), body color 

 blackish, fins pale with a blackish area at base of each, a pale streak 

 along lateral line and one across base of dorsal. From 57.5 to 71.5 

 mm. S.L., head and dorsal half of body with irregular dark blotches 

 tending to form broken stripes on back, scattered small pigment spots 

 on rest of body, pelvics with spots at bases, other fins dark near bases. 

 By 76 mm. S.L., head no longer dark spotted. By 87 mm. S.L., 

 about the proximal three-fourths of the pectoral, dorsal, anal, and 

 caudal fins are darkened, and the body has taken on a brownish cast. 

 By 113 mm. S.L., the coloration of the upper half of the body consists 

 of numerous small pigment spots, on some specimens these coalesce 

 in some areas to form short lines. 



Size: Largest specimen examined, 13 inches T.L. (243 mm. S.L.). 

 Smallest specimen reported, 2% inches total length (the holotype, 

 about 47 mm. S.L.). 



Range: All known specimens have been taken from off the coast 

 of the United States: From off northern Georgia, eastern Florida, 

 Tortugas and northwestern Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and 

 southern Texas. Of the specimens we examined, those larger than 

 100 mm. S.L. were taken from between about 101 and 240 fathoms; 

 those from 71.5 to 100 mm. S.L. were taken from between 80 and 112 

 fathoms; and a 57.5-mm. S.L. specimen was taken at Dinner Key in 

 Biscayne Bay, Florida. An 87-mm. T.L. specimen was reported from 

 between 21 and 31 fathoms (Hildebrand, 1954, p. 318), and the 2% 

 inch holotype was taken "on the reef at Garden Key" (Jordan and 

 Thompson, 1905, p. 254). 



