PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 353 



from middle of preorbital along suborbital, rarely extending behind the 

 orbit, much less distinct than in L. argentivittatus, and disappearing in 

 alcohol; cheeks sometimes with bluish spots or lines; inside of mouth 

 red; vertical fins very dark, with more or less reddish ; spinous dorsal 

 with a broad median streak of very light slaty blue; pectorals and ven- 

 trals reddish, the latter with dusky. 



This species is a very abundant food-fish at Mazatlan, being seen daily 

 in the markets. It is preferred (probably on account of its bright 

 colors) as a market fish to the other species of Lutjanus. It reaches a 

 weight of about 15 i)ounds, and is known to the Mexican fishermen as 

 ^^Pargo Colorado.^^ 



18. Lutjanus prieto, sp. nov. (28196. 28231, 28253, 28384, 29.567, 28779, 29787.) 



Body comparatively elongate, the back little elevated ; profile very 

 gently curved ; snout long and pointed, one-third length of head ; eye 

 small, less than breadth of the wide })reorl)ital ; maxillary baiely reach- 

 ing to opposite front of orbit, its length 2f in head; each jaw with a very 

 narrow band of villiform teeth, outside of which is a single series of 

 larger teeth; those in sides of upper jaw small; two in front, however, 

 developed as large fang-like canines, larger than usual in this genus, 

 their length about equal to the diameter of the pupil ; a pair of smaller 

 canines near the middle of the upper jaw, between the large ones; conical 

 teeth of lower jaw distant, canine-like, 6 to 8 in number on each side, 

 larger than in any of our other species of Lutjanus, much larger than 

 those on sides of upper jaw; teeth on tongue in a large oval i)atch, in 

 front of w^hich are two smaller iiatches ; teeth on vomer forming a 

 crescent-shaped patch, without backward prolongation on the median 

 line. 



Gill-rakers few, not very large, distant, about 1 + 7. Preopercle with 

 its posterior margin extending very obliquely forward, the angle there- 

 fore very obtusely rounded; a broad shallow notch above the angle, the 

 margin above the notch convex, its edge minutely serrulate; a few 

 coarser teeth at the angle ; lower border mostly smooth. In the adult 

 the whole margin of the preopercle is without serrations; suijrascapular 

 serrate. Posterior nostril nearly round; a single narrow band of scales 

 extending downward and backward from occii)ut. Dorsal spines rather 

 long, with sharp flexible tips, the fourth the longest, but shorter than 

 the snout, 3^ in head ; anal spines short and strong, much stronger than 

 dorsal spines, the second and third of nearly equal length, the second 

 somewhat strongest, not much longer than diameter of the orbit, 4| in 

 head. Soft rays of anal low, 3^ in head. Caudal fin emarginate, If in 

 head. Pectorals much longer than ventrals, extending slightly beyond 

 them, their length 1| in head. 



Scales moderate firm, present on cheek, opercle, subopercle, and in 

 a single series on interopercle. Scales above lateral line forming very 

 Proc. Nat. Mus. 81 23 jfiai-cli 29, 1 8 S3. 



