544 CONTEIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



the vertical from posterior margin of orbit. One continuous dorsal; 

 dorsal and anal fins higher posteriorly, the longest rays reaching base 

 of caudal. Eye twice the length of snout. Head more than one third 

 length of body; depth ^. D. II, 27; A. 15; Lat. 1. 90; L. transv. -3%. 

 {Goocle & Bean.) Key West, Fla. 

 (Goode & Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mua. ii, 341, 1879.) 



Family LXXXVII.— PEIACANTHID^. 



{The Big Eyes.) 



Body oblong or ovate, compressed, covered with small, firm, rough 

 scales; all parts of the body and head, even the snout and maxillaries, 

 being densely scaly. Head deep. Mouth large, very oblique, the lower 

 jaw prominent. Villiform teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatines, none on 

 the tongue. Premaxillaries protractile. Maxillary broad, without sup- 

 plemental bone, not slipping under the very narrow preorbital. Eye 

 very large, forming about half the length of the side of the head. 

 Posterior nostril long, slit-like. Preopercle more or less serrated, one or 

 inore strong spines at its augle; operculum very short, endiug in two or 

 three points behind. Gill-membranes separate, free from the isthmus. 

 Pseudobranchiee large. Gills 4, a slit behind the fourth. Gill-rakers 

 long. Branchiostegals 6. Lateral line continuous. Dorsal fin continu- 

 ous, with about 10 spines, which are depressible in a groove; anal spines 

 3, the soft part long, similar to the soft dorsal; ventrals large, thoracic, 

 I, 5; pectorals small, rounded; caudal fin truncate or lunate. Spines 

 of fins generally rough with small serrae. Air-bladder large. Pyloric 

 coeca few. Small carnivorous fishes of the tropical seas; mostly rose- 

 colored in life. Genus 1; species about 20. 



{Percidce, group Priacanthina Giinther, i, 215-22L) 



2§0.— PRIACAIVTHUS Cuiver. 

 Big Eyes. 



(Cuvier, R^gne Auim. ii, 1817: type Pnacantlms macft-ophtlialmus Cuvier.) 



Characters of the genus included above. {-pt(ov, saw; axavOa, spine; 

 from the serrature of the spines.) 



a. Body more than twice as long as deep; scales small. (PriacantJius.) 

 §5§. P. ma-iTophtiiaBtnsis Cnv. & Ya,l.~Big Eye. 



Uniform red, fins edged with dusky. Body oblong, compressed, but 

 little elevated. Gape of mouth subvertical, maxillary passing front of 



