126 BULLETIN 95, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



taenius. In the specimen here described the ventrals are filamentous, 

 reaching to vent; longest dorsal ray 1.76 in head; longest anal 

 ray 1.85. 



Color in alcohol bluish black. 



This description is based on a specimen 26 cm. long, from Lobos 

 de Afuera. 



Another example 21.3 cm. long, had the following measurements : 

 Head 3.16 in length; depth 2.37; eye 5.4 in head; snout 3; inter- 

 orbital 3 ; pectoral 1.12 ; ventrals 1.35 ; longest dorsal ray 1.42 ; longest 

 anal ray 1.58 ; D. XII, 11 ; A. Ill, 12 ; scales 5-35-12. 



Field No. 09461, of which only a portion of the head was saved, 

 must have been a much larger fish. In it the adipose tissue on fore- 

 head is well developed, its height 1.4 in length of snout; two of the 

 canines in upper jaw are much compressed and hollowed out on the 

 under side; jaws behind canines with 7 or 8 short, blunt, teeth, a 

 single stout tooth on posterior end of left side, three on the right side, 

 the anterior of these being the longer. 



Color in life of these specimens, almost black with some bluish 

 mottlings; under side of head bluish. In some specimens at least 

 a black bar passes from eye to eye over the head just back of the 

 lump. The only bright color is seen in the iris, which is a mixture 

 of gold and dusky. 



Regarding the use of the names " vieja," " negra," " jobero," etc.. 

 Doctor Coker writes : " The ' negra ' is applied only to small and per- 

 fectly black specimens. Larger black specimens are called 'vieja' 

 or 'vieja negi'a.' The 'jobero' or 'hobero' seems to be the same 

 species, but the name applies only to specimens of a brilliant orange 

 or yellow or white, or partly of one of those colors. ' Vieja Colorado ' 

 is applied to large red or brown specimens. I am not sure that this 

 name is not sometimes applied to the ' mulata,' a related fish some- 

 times of variable color, sometimes red, but with smaller scales (50 

 or more in lateral line as compared with about 30 in lateral line of 

 'vieja'). The 'jobero' may be white (unpigmented) in parts or 

 over the entire body, when it presents a striking washed-out ap- 

 pearance. The color variation in 'viejas' and 'joberos' is remark- 

 able. One part of the body may be dark red, brown, or jet black, 

 while another part is bright yellow, orange, or white. The two 

 colors will be separated by the sharpest sort of line, though their dis- 

 tribution may be entirely irregular and unsymmetrical. Thus a fish 

 with general color of dark reddish brown may have a pure w^iite 

 head, the unpigmented area extending much farther back on one side 

 than on the other. The ' gallo ' has a characteristic color pattern." 



From the above description it is evident that the same wide range 

 of color variation occurs here as is recorded in specimens from the 



