54 THE CYPRINODONTS. 



joined, lower longer, upper short, protractile. Teeth in the outer series slen- 

 der, narrowed at the base, broadened or spatuliforra toward the apex, hooked, 

 movable ; in the inner series very small, one cusped, subtricuspid or slightly 

 broadened toward the apex ; in the pharyngeal groups, slender, pointed, 

 arranged in short rows. Eye medium, little longer than snout, little more 

 than a fourth of the head or half of the forehead. Fins small, excepting 

 caudal. Dorsal oi-igin about midway from snout to end of caudal, slightly in 

 front of that of anal, thirteen scales behind the occiput. Pectorals reaching 

 a vertical from behind the bases of the ventrals. On males the anal is farther 

 forward, a vertical from the first ray being reached by the pectorals. The 

 anal process in this sex is comparatively short, about three fourths as long as 

 the head; it has an elongate fleshy lobe beneath its apex, and extends but 

 little farther back than the long slender second rays of the ventrals. Caudal 

 deep as long, hardly as long as the bead, median rays little longer. Scales 

 large. Intestine more than twice as long as the fish. 



Brownish to olivaceous or yellowish, darker on the vertebral line and 

 top of the head, the latter with a central streak or spot of light color. 

 Darker on the posterior half of each of the majority of the scales, or with 

 darker edges to the scales, or nearly uniform yellowish. In most cases, with 

 three to seven vertical bands of brownish, as wide as the interspaces, on the 

 flank, behind the middle of the abdominal cavity, and with a blackish spot 

 on the eighth and ninth scales behind the angle of the operculum, on 

 the second series below the origin of the dorsal and but two to three 

 scales distant from it. This spot on many is edged with white. Some are 

 freckled with silvery scales, or have the spaces on the flank of that color. A 

 black spot on the middle of the posterior raj's of the dorsal, in cases with a 

 band to the front edge. Dorsal frequently, and sometimes anal and pec- 

 torals, tipped with black. Caudal with three or more vertical bands of 

 puncticulations or small spots, or simply clouded, or uniform. Rarely dor- 

 sal and caudal are irregularly sprinkled with black spots. A dash of black 

 on each edge of the base of the caudal is common. 



Reaches a leno-tli of three and a half inches. 



Rio Janeiro to Martinique. 



Fewer of the adults from Martinique and Crab Island bear tlie spot on 

 the eighth and ninth scales of the lateral line, in comparison with southern 

 specimens, and on the young it is rather less distinct ; but on the other hand 

 the black spots at each edge of the caudal base are larger, and the sevonil 



