368 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [26] 



slightly less than 2 in head; soft dorsal apparently not scaly, but so 

 mutilated that we cannot be certain of this. 



Scales very weakly ctenoid; lateral line somewhat wavy anteriorly, 

 becoming straight under the fourth or fifth dorsal ray. 



Color, brownish above, lighter below ; middle of sides with many dark 

 dots ; a dark blotch on upper corners of opercle and cheek ; axil and 

 inner margin of pectoral, black; spinous dorsal, black; soft dorsal and 

 caudal, dusky; the rest of the fins pale. 



The specimen from Pass Christian has no scales on dorsal or anal at 

 present, but the marks showing their former presence on the basal parts 

 of the fin are evident. Gill-rakers, X-f 8, the longest § eye; snout 3| 

 in head; D. X-I, 25; A. I, 10. 



In the specimen from Hampton Roads the gill-rakers are X+9; snout 

 3| in head; D. X— 1, 25. The coloration is essentially as in regalis, but 

 in all these specimens it is more silvery, the dark markings less dis- 

 tinct. 



13. CESTREUS RETICULATUS. 



OtoJUhus reticulatus Giinther, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1864, 149 (San Jose" de Gua- 

 temala, Chiapain). Giinther, Fishes Central America, 387, 388, and 430, 18G9 

 (San Jose", Chiapam). 



Cynoscion reticulalum Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. , 1881, 232 (Acapulco, 

 Mexico). Jordan & Gilbert, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1881, 319 (Mazatlau ; Pan- 

 ama). 



Habitat. — Pacific coast of tropical America, Mazatlau to Panama. 



This is a common food-fish of the west coast of Mexico. It consid- 

 erably resembles Ccstrem nebulosus, and is similar in size, habits, and 

 value to the latter. 



14. CESTREUS NEBULOSUS. 



(The Spotted Weak-fish, or Spotted "Sea Trout.") 



[Plate II.] 



Ldbrus squeieaguex&r. maculatus Mitcbill, Trans. Lit. it Phil. Soc, 396, 1815 (New 

 York) (not Ldbrus maculatus Blocb). 



Cynoscion maculatum Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1882,285 (Pensacola, 

 Galveston). Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus.. 1882, 607 (Charleston). 

 Jordan &, Gilbert, Syu. Fish. North Am., 581, 1883. Bean, Internat. Fishery 

 Exhib. Berlin, 55, 1883 (Pensacola, Florida). Jordan & Swain, Proc. U. S. 

 Nat. Mus., 1884,233 (Cedar Key, Florida). Goode, Hist. Aquat. Anim., 362, 

 plate 120, 1884 (Norfolk, Va.). 



Otolithu8 nebulosus Cuv. & Yal., Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 79, 1830 (locality unknown). 

 Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1886, 540 (note on type of Cuvier & Valenci- 

 ennes). 



Otolithus carolinensis Cuv. & Val., Hist. Nat. Poiss., ix, 475, 1833 (South Carolina). 

 DeKay, New York Fauna, Fishes, 72, 1842 (New York). Storer, Syn.Fish. 

 North Am., 318, 1846 (copied). Holbrook, " Ichthyol. S. Carolina, 133, pi. 19, 

 fis- 2" (S. Carolina). Giiuthcr, Cat, Fish. Brit. Mus., ii, 306, 1860 (New York, 

 Lake Pontchartrain). 



Cestreus carolinensis Gronow, Cat. Fish., ed, ('ray. 49, 1851 (Carolina). 



