110 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL IVIUSEUM vol.99 



U. S. N. M. No. 123220, large head, Punta Gorda, east coast of 

 Gulf of Venezuela, U. S. S. Niagara, December 18, 1924. This 

 specimen measured 4 feet 6 inches in total length and weighed 33 K 

 pounds. 



SPHYRAENA GUACHANCHO Valenciennes 

 GUAQUANCHO 



Sphyraena guachancho Valenciennes, in Cuvier and Valenciennes, Histoire 

 naturelle des poissons, vol. 3, p. 252, 1829 (Havana). — Metzelaar, Report 

 on the fishes collected by Dr. J. Boeke in the Dutch West Indies 1904-1905, 

 p. 41, 1919 (Puerto Cabello, Venezuela). 



Family MUGILIDAE: Mullets; Lisas 



No careful comparison of European and American mullets has been 

 made; Mugil cepfialus therefore is usually considered to have a world- 

 wide distribution. However, my preliminary study of specimens of 

 M. cephalus from Europe compared with some American ones indi- 

 cates possible differences. Before any definite conclusion can be 

 reached a large series will have to be studied. I have not found any 

 specimen from Venezuela that could be definitely classified as cephalus, 

 and I have serious doubt that M. cephalus occurs along the east coast 

 of South America or in the West Indies. 



During my study of the mullets of Venezuela I considered it neces- 

 sary to revise provisionally the genera of Mugilidae, since much con- 

 fusion exists in regard to genera. The results of this preliminary 

 revision have been published (Schultz, 1946). 



KEY TO THE GENERA AND SPECIES OF MUGILIDAE REPORTED FROM 



VENEZUELA 



la. Upper and lower jaws inside of lips with a wide band of villiform teeth, but 

 no teeth on outer margin of lips, nor is the lower lip directed or folded 

 downward; anterior margin of lower jaw broadly rounded; gill rakers about 

 17 to 20 on lower part of first gill arch; maxillary reaching past front of 

 orbit and past posterior tip of preorbital bone; lower lip thick, not thin at 

 edge and not bearing teeth; no adipose eyelid; nostrils much closer together 

 than anterior is from edge of snout, lip excluded; anal rays III, 9; scales 

 about 38 to 41 Agonostomus monticola (Bancroft) 



16. Lower jaw without a wide band of villiform teeth; gill rakers more than 25 on 

 lower part of first gill arch; lower lip with a thin edge directed horizontally 

 forward or nearly so, usually with a uniserial row of slender simple teeth 

 more or less ciliform, sometimes embedded and almost obsolete; upper jaw 

 with or without a narrow band of minute villiform teeth and lip usually 

 with a single row of minute slender teeth; adipose eyelid well developed, 

 reaching to or nearly to pupil except on young 40 mm. in standard length 

 and shorter, in which case the preorbital is narrower than space between 

 nostrils; nostrils wider apart than anterior nostril is from edge of snout, 

 lip excluded; anterior margin of lower jaw triangular in shape; preorbital 

 posteriorly narrower than distance between nostrils and its posterior tip 

 not reaching front of eye; maxillarj' reaching to rear edge of preorbital but 

 not beyond front of eye (Mugil). 



