296 PHISTIPOMATIDJi. 



19. Pristipoma crocro. 



Cuv. S,- Val. V. p. 264. 

 D. 12|^. A.y. L. lat. 50-56. L. transv.^. Vert. 11/15. 



The height of the body is foiir times in the total length, the length 

 of the head 3|-. The snout is elongate and rather pointed ; the dia- 

 meter of the eye is 4| in the length of the head, and 1| in that of 

 the snout. The upper jaw is rather longer than the lower ; the max- 

 iUaiy extends tu the vertical from the anterior margin of the orbit. 

 The posterior limb of the pra^operculum very slightly emarginate, 

 serrated, the angle not prominent, rounded, and with stronger den- 

 ticulatious. The dorsal fin deeply notched, all the sj^ines strong ; 

 the fifth dorsal spine longest, nearly one-half as long as the head. 

 Caudalis truncated ; the second anal spine exceedingly strong, nearly 

 tAvo-thirds of the length of the head ; pectoral rather short, one-sixth 

 of the total. Coloration imiform ; the first dorsal blackish, the pec- 

 toral yellowish, the other fins greyish. 



Atlantic coasts of Tropical America. 



a. Fine specimen. S. Domingo. From Mr. Cimiing's Collection. 



b. 14" long : skin. Jamaica. From Dr. ParneU's Collection. 



c. Adult : skin : Jamaica. From Dr. ParneU's Collection. 



d. Adult. 



e. Half-grown. 



/. Half-gi'own : skeleton. Old Collection. 



g. Fine specimen. From the Collection of the Zoological Society. — 

 It agrees with the other specimens in all the characters, except 

 in having the dorsal spines, and especially the anal spine, shorter. 



Skeleton. — The most superficial comparison of the skeleton of this 

 fish with that of a species of Therapon (e. (j. Th. servus) shows the 

 close affinity of those genera, and the error of Cuvier, who united 

 Pristipoma, &c., with the Scicenidce. The upper surface of the skidl 

 is nearly even between the orbits, there being two pairs of foramina 

 only, one close together in the middle of the frontal bones, the other 

 more distant from each other, near the anterior extremity of those 

 bones : these foramina lead into narrow muciferous channels in the 

 interior of the bone. The occipital crest is raised above the level of 

 the skull, and moderately elevated ; it extends as far as the occipital. 

 On each side of this crest there is another, much lower, running to 

 the point where the suprascapular bone is suspended. The turbinal 

 bones are elongate, concave, foiming a half-cliannel. The inter- 

 maxillary is stout and rather short, the upper posterior process being 

 more than one-half of the length of the bone ; the anterior portion 

 of each process is broad, the posterior styliform ; its posterior mar- 

 gin is S-shaped, mthout a prominent process. The maxillary is 

 rather narrow, with the posterior margin deeply notched. The 

 lower part of the mancUlnilary is transformed into a wide muciferous 

 channel, with four grooves, separated from one another by narrow 

 transverse ridges. The infraorbital ring is very narrow, except the 



