ISPAKOID FISHES OF AMERICA AND EUROPE. 431 



Subfamily I.— HOPLOPAGRINiE. 

 I. HOPLOPAGRUS. 



Hoplopagrus Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1802, 253 {aUiitheri}. 



Tyi)e : Uoplopagms ffiinthcrl Gill. 



Etyiiioloj;y : oz?.,,;^ singular of o-i«, arms, armor; -«^jOoc-, porjxy. 



One species of this remarkable generic type is known. With a close 

 resemblance in nearly all respects to L. caxis, and other ordinary 

 LntjaHi, it strikingly differs in the structure of the nostrils and in the 

 dentition from all other lishes of this type. 



ANALYSIS OF SPECIES OF HOPLOPAGRUS. 



a. Eodj^ oblong-ovate, sliort, dcej), aud compressed, tho back arched, tae body ab- 

 ruptly contracted to tlie base of tli<i short caudal peduncle; anterior jjrolile slightly 

 aud evenly convex. Snout rather long and pointed, its length 2.^, in head ; mouth 

 small, the maxillary scarcely reaching to front of orbit, its length 2| to 3 in 

 head; teeth in jaws arranged as in the Lutjani, hnt coarse aud blunt, the lat- 

 eral teeth of both jaws rounded and molar-like, more blunt in large exanqiles; 

 upper jaw with about 2 coarse, rather long canines; vomer with about 3 to 5 

 coarse molar teeth; palatines and tongue toothless; lower jiiw rather weak, 

 included; anterior nostril at tho extreme front of the snout, close to the premax- 

 illary, in the extremity of a barbel-like tube which hangs down above the mouth 

 and is nearly as long as the eye; posterior nostril a rather long and narrow 

 oblique slit, near the front of the eye; eye small, near the middle of the length 

 of the head, 4^ in head (young) ; interorbital space rather broad and convex, its 

 width 4J in head; i>reorbital broad, its least width 3^ to 4,^ in head; vertical 

 limb of preopercle ol)lique, sharply serrate, fhe teeth rather fine above, coarse 

 at the angle; emarginatiou of i)reopercle sharp and deep, more conspicuous than 

 in most species of Lutjaims, the knob of interopercle conspicuous; gill-rakers 

 few and short, about 7 developed on lower part of anterior arch, besides sev- 

 eral rudiments; opercle without spinous projections; scapular scale serrate. 

 Temporal crest of skull very short, coalescing with the orbital rim. Scales 

 rather small, regularly arranged, those above lateral line in series wliich are 

 throughout parallel with the lateral line; those below in horizontal series; tem- 

 poral region with a band of one or two series of large scales; cheeks with about 

 7 rows of scales; top of head naked. Dorsal spines rather low and strong, the 

 fin somewhat deeply emaiginate; soft dorsal high, angular, aud pointed in out- 

 line, the last ray not two-fifths the height of the nuddle ones, whicli are 2 in 

 head; caudal short, feebly lunate, the uiiper lobe. 1| in head; anal higli aud 

 pointed, the middle rays reaching base of caudal, a. little more than half length 

 of head; anal spines strong, the second longer aud stronger than thinl, 2J in 

 head; pectoral long, 3 in body; ventral U. Color olive brown, body with about 

 six rather consiiicuous narrow whitish crossbands. extending a little oblicjuely 

 backward, and broadest below, irregular in numl»er and width; a round, dusky 

 blotch near base of last rays of soft dorsal ; fins mostly dusky olive, the pectorals 

 pale, ventrals and anal darkest ; top of head with some small dark spots. Head, 

 2J in length; depth, 2;^. D.x,14; A. ill, 9. Scales 6-47-16 GCnthkui, 1. 



