4. PEISTIPOMA. 297 



praeorbital : there is no interior plate to support the eyeball fi-om 

 beneath. The praeorbital is triangular, with the lower side curved, 

 and has three or four cavities or wide openings of its muciferous 

 channel. The operculum is very irregularly Sihaped, and posteriorly 

 armed with two points of nearly equal size, separated from each 

 other by a deep notch ; the lower is more acute : there is no ridge on 

 the interior side of the bone. Sub- and interoperculum without 

 any denticulation. The praeoperculum is very strongly built and 

 armed ; there are three strong but short spinous teeth at the angle, 

 and fifteen smaller ones along the posterior margin ; the upper of 

 these teeth are directed upwards ; the lower margin is shghtly con- 

 vex and entire. It has four wide openings of the muciferous channel ; 

 two larger ones on the lower limb, and two smaller ones above the 

 angle. The suprascapula is strongly, the coracoid bone not serrated. 



The vomer is anteriorly broad, rounded, along its middle slightly 

 concave, without any teeth. The teeth in the jaws are placed in 

 broad villiform bands, the lateral ones being scarcely larger than the 

 remainder. The pharyngeal teeth are short, cardiform. 



There are eleven abdominal and fifteen caudal vertebrae ; the length 

 of the former portion of the column being to that of the caudal as 

 1 : 1-5. There are several spurious interneural spines (interneurals 

 without corresponding dorsal spine) in front of the dorsal fin, and 

 each of these interneurals terminates above in a small hook, directed 

 forwards, as is the case in many other fishes. The fii'st interhgemal 

 is very strong, with deep longitudinal grooves ; its length equals that 

 of the first eight vertebrae. 



20, Pristipoma coro. 



Seba, iii. 27. 14. 

 Coro-coro, Marqr. p. 177. 

 SciiBna coro, Bl pi. 307. f. 2 ; Bl. Schn. p. 81. 



Pristipoma coro, Cuv. &■ Val. v. p. 266 ; Cuv. Eegne Anim. Bl. Paiss. 

 pi. 30. f. 2. 



D. 11 I ^. A. J. L. lat. 50. L. transv. ■^. 



The height of the body is 3| in the total length, the length of the 

 head 3f ; the diameter of the eye is one-fourth of the latter ; the 

 snout is rather longer, with the loAver jaw longest, and with the cleft 

 of the mouth moderate, the upper maxillary reaching somewhat 

 beyond the vertical from the anterior margin of the eye. The pos- 

 terior limb of the praeoperculum obliquely descending backwards, 

 with pointed, distant, spinous teeth ; two strong spinous teeth at the 

 angle. DorsaHs deeply notched, -ndth rather strong and long spines ; 

 the fourth longest, rather more than one-half the length of the head. 

 Caudalis truncated ; the second anal spine exceedingly strong, and 

 even longer than the fourth of the dorsal. Body with about eight 

 brownish cross-bands. 



Atlantic coasts of Tropical America. 



a, h. Adult. S. Domingo. Purchased of Mr. Cuming. 



