550 CONTEIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY — IV. 



oblong-elliptical, moderately comiiressed, not elevated. Mouth mod- 

 erate, without distinct canines. Tongue with a large oval patch of 

 teeth, besides which are 5 or 6 smaller patches. Nostrils round, near 

 together. Preopercle finely serrate, its notch obsolete. Gill-rakers 

 very long and slender. Dorsal spines rather slender ; second anal spine 

 a little longer than the third; caudal fin. lunate, its lobes not attenuate. 

 Head 3i; depth 3. D. XII, 11; A. Ill, 8; Lat. I. 54. L. 1 foot. West 

 Indies, north to South Carolina and Florida. 



iCentrojyrlstes auroriihens Cuv. & Val. iii, 45: Mesoprion auroruhens Giiuther, i, 207: 

 Centropristcs auroruhens Storer, Mem. Am. Acad. Arts & Sci. 184(5, 288 : likomhoplites 

 auroruhens Goode & Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1879, 130.) 



• 283.— POMADASYS Lac^pede. 

 {Pristipovia Cuvier.) 

 (Lac(?pede, Hist. Nat. Poiss. iv, 515, 1802: type Scicena argentea Forsk.) 



Body oblong or ovate, somewhat compressed, the back elevated or 

 not; mouth small, terminal, low; the maxillary usually not extending 

 to opposite the eye, its tip not reaching the posterior edge of the broad 

 preorbital; premaxillaries very protractile; teeth on jaws only, in villi- 

 form bands, the outer series usually more or less enlarged; a central 

 groove behind the symphysis of the lower jaw; branchiostegals 7; 

 cheeks and opercles scaly; preopercle rather finely and evenly serrate; 

 scales moderate, few, if any, on the dorsal and anal fins ; dorsal spines 

 mostly 12, strong; g ill- rakers feeble ; caudal forked. Species numerous 

 in all warm seas; the range of variation in form is very great in this 

 genus. {-w/j.a, operculum; dacruq, rough.) 



a. Outer teeth considerably enlarged, cauine.like. {Conodon* C. & V.) 



865. P. BSoMSis (L.) J. & G. 



Body with 8 yellowish brown cross-bauds; dorsal spines silvery. 

 Form rather slender; the head conic, somewhat pointed, the lower jaw 

 l)rojectiug; mouth moderate, low, oblique; a series of short, stout canines 

 outside the usual baud of villiform teeth ; preopercle strongly serrate, 

 with two spinous teeth at the angle, the teeth behind directed upward; 

 chin with a central groove; pectorals narrow, not reaching as far as tips 

 of ventrals, about to vent; second anal spine very long and strong, 

 higher than the soft rays; caudal almost truncate. Air-bladder with 



* Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss. v, 156: type Conodon antillanus C. & V.=: 

 Scicena plumieri Blocb. {xovo<;y cone; oSoav, tooth.) 



