88. SPARIDiE DIABASIS. 553 



284.— DIABASES Desmarest. 

 Red Mouths. 



{Ihvnuilod Cuvicr.) 

 (Dcsmarest, Premiere Decade Ichtb. (If^l8): type Diahasls parraiTici^m.) 



Body oblong, usually more or less elevated; mouth wide, the maxillary 

 very long, reaching usually to below the eye, its tip extending to the 

 posterior end of the preorbital; no teeth on vomer or palatines ; teeth 

 of the jaws conical, the outer series stronger, curved ; lips and inside of 

 the mouth commonly bright red in life ; soft parts of the vertical fins 

 completely covered with scales ; a marked angle formed at the junction 

 of the spinous and soft parts of the dorsal ; second anal spine enlarged, 

 generally larger and longer than the third; caudal forked. Species 

 very numerous, [dtdfiafftq^ a crossing; the allusion not evident.) 

 * Sides of the head with blue stripes. 



872. D. foranostas (L.) J. &. G.— Black Grunts. 



Brownish above, sides lighter; top and sides of head with very many 

 (12 or more) narrow wavy longitudinal lines of dark blue, whicli do not 

 extend on the trunk ; G or more of them on preorbital ; fins dusky, with 

 a more or less api>arent bluish tint ; a red blotch at angle of mouth, ex- 

 tending forward on lower lip. Body oblong, compressed and elevated, 

 highest at origin of dorsal fin; profile very convex to front of eye, 

 where the long, compressed snout forms an angle with it. Eye posterior 

 and high up ; 2 in snout, 4 in head. Mouth large ; maxillary reaching 

 front of orbit. Snout with a few scattered scales. Second anal spine 

 much enlarged. Head 2% ; depth 2|. D. XII, 17 ; *A. Ill, 9 ; Lat. 1. 55. 

 South Atlantic coast of the United States and southward. 



{Perca formoxa Linn. Syst. Nat.: Ham vion form ontim Glintber i, 305: Emntdon arcu- 

 atum Cuv. & Val. ix, 481: Ha'mulon a>0M«/ttm Holbrook, Ich. S. C. 1860, I2i.) 



** Sides of head without blue stripes. 

 a. Body not striped. 



873. D. chrysopterBBS (Linn.) J. & G. 



Light brown above ; sides brilliantly silvery ; mouth red posteriorly, 



white in front. Body with general form of preceding, but the back less 



elevated, the profile being nearly straight. Scales of the ])ectoral region 



not largei^ than the others. Head 2-i; depth 2^. D. XIII, 14; A. Ill, 



10; Lat. 1. about 55. {Uolhroolc.) West Indies, north to South Carolina. 



(Perca chrnHoptera Linu. Syst. Nat. : HwmnJon ckrysopterum Giinther, i, 313: Hwrnulon 

 chrysopterum Holbrook, Ich. S. C. 1860,121.) 



aa. Body striped or banded. 



