354 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



oblique series running upward and backward, not parallel with the 

 lateral line. Scales on breast not very small, smaller than those on 

 opercle. Basal portions of vertical fins scaly. 



Head 2| in length {'S^ with caudal) ; depth 3f (4) ; eye 5^ in head. 

 D. X, 13; A. Ill, 7; scales 6-45-11; lateral line with 50 tubes. 



Coloration : Back and sides very dark olive brown, the back with a 

 slaty tinge, the sides often with some faint purplish ; sides paler below ; 

 the belly and lower parts of head white. Each scale on the dorsal 

 region with the basal half dark. Head colored like the body ; maxillary 

 brownish, no bluish streak on preorbital. Vertical fins dark brownish; 

 the spinous dorsal olive brown with a narrow dark streak at base and 

 tip; anal with the margin of its first 3 rays white; pectorals olivaceous 

 brown; ventrals dark brownish, becoming reddish at base. Inside of 

 mouth reddish yellow. Young with the margin of spinous dorsal, and 

 most of anal black. 



This species is very abundant in the harbor of Mazatlan. It reaches 

 a weight of 15 pounds, and as a food-fish ranks high, little below the 

 '■'•Fargo ColoradoP It is known to the fishermen as ''■Fargo prietoJ'^ 



The species of Lutjanus found at Mazatlan may be thus compared : 



a. Vomerine teeth forming an anchor-shaped patch, the band prolonged backward on 

 the median line ; body rather deep, the back somewhat elevated. 

 &. Second anal spine shorter than third; soft fins rather high; teeth weak; snout 

 moderate ; scales above lateral line forming oblique series; a temporal as well 

 as an occipital baud of scales; dorsal spines slender; pectoral fin long; pos- 

 terior nostril oblong. Color red ; a large black blotch on lateral line below 

 last dorsal spines; back aud sides with rows of dark spots following the series 

 of scales ; fins reddish. 



GUTTATUS.* 



lb. Second anal spine longer than third ; teeth strong, the upper canines very large ; 

 snout long and pointed, the preorbital broad ; scales above lateral line forming 

 series parallel with the lateral line ; one narrow occipital band of scales ; dorsal 

 spines strong ; pectoral fin long ; jjosterior nostril slit-like. Color brownish, 

 with faint silvery streaks along the rows of scales on sides; alight blue streak 

 along preorbital and suborbital usually interrupted and often extending on 



the opercle ; fins mostly pale Argentivittatus. t 



aa. Vomerine teeth forming a crescent-shaped patch, without prolongation on the 

 median line. 



* Mesoprion guttatus Steindachuer, Ichthyol. Notiz. ix, 18, 1869, taf. viii. Mazatlan 

 (Steind. ; Gilb.y, Panama (Gilb.). This species has been erroneously confounded with 

 the West Indian L. synagris (L) J. & G: {—Mesoprion uninotattis C. «& V.), a species 

 not yet known from the Pacific. 



i Mesoprion argentivittatus Fetets, Berlin. Monatsber. 1809,704. Mazatlan (Peters ; 

 Gilb.); Acapulco {Gilb.), Panama {Gilb.). This species has been confounded with the 

 closely-related L. caxis {Af. griseus C. & V.) of the Atlantic. The latter is best distin- 

 guished by the direction of the rows of scales above the lateral line, which are not 

 throughout parallel with the latter. 



