BRANNER-AGASSIZ EXPEDITION TO BRAZIL 169 



Second aual spine 13 



lyOugest aual ray 21 



Longest ray of upper caudal lobe 32 



Middle caudal ray 24 



Depth 31 



Depth of caudal peduncle 16 J- 



Length of caudal peduncle from base of last anal ray . . . .25 



In outline closely resembling A. dovi'i, with snout acute as in that 

 species, and the lower jaw included. There are broad bands of villi- 

 form teeth in the jaws, and narrow bands (sometimes scarcely more 

 than irregular single series) on the vomer and the palatines. The 

 mouth is oblique, the maxillary reaching a vertical midway between 

 pupil and hinder edge of orbit. The eye is large, i^ times the inter- 

 orbital width, which is equal to the snout. The vertical limb of the 

 preopercle is rigid, its posterior margin finely serrulate ; the horizontal 

 limb is membranous, flexible, with entire margin. 



The gill-rakers are long and slender, the longest half the diameter 

 of the orbit; there are 3 movable ones on the vertical and 10 or 11 on 

 the horizontal limb, and in addition 3 anteriorly-placed immovable 

 tubercles. 



The longest dorsal spine is contained i^ times in the longest soft 

 ray. The ventrals reach the vent. The long narrow pectorals slightly 

 overlap the front of the anal. 



In life, doubtless reddish, sparsely dusted with coarse black specks, 

 which are somewhat more numerous posteriorly ; no indication of a 

 black spot on caudal peduncle. A dark spot on opercle (black in the 

 younger co-type) formed by the close juxtaposition of black specks. 

 The vertical portion of the cheeks and the sides of snout are covered 

 with coarse black specks. In the co-type these are concentrated into 

 a small blotch behind the eye ; those on side of snout suggesting a 

 band such as is often seen in the young of A. dovil. Fins translucent, 

 the caudal and the anterior dorsal and anal rays black-edged. 



Scales ctenoid, 26 or 27 in the lateral line, 2\ series between the 

 lateral line and the base of the dorsal ; 7 series between the lateral line 

 and the base of the anal. 



This species may eventually prove to be identical with A. imberbis^ 

 if the young of the latter are ever seen to lack the caudal spot and to 

 possess an opercular spot. Such accounts as we have of the species 

 do not indicate this. 



The American records of A. i77iberbis are all doubtful, and the 

 species should be omitted from our lists until its occurrence in Amer- 

 ican waters is verified. It seems improbable that this common iSIedi- 



