544 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Family IPRIACANTHIDAE: 



Catalufas 



Genus PRIACANTHUS Cuvier 



Scales very small, 80 to 100 in the lateral line; body oblong, 

 more than twice as long as deep; preopercle with a spine at 

 angle; interorbital area externally transversely convex, the 

 cranium itself transversely concave, the elevation being formed 

 of flesh; a conspicuous foramen in the interorbital area; lateral 

 line extending upward and backward from upper angle of gill 

 opening toward second dorsal spine, below which it changes its 

 course, following outline of back to end of dorsal fin, thence 

 direct to middle of caudal; anal fin rather long, its rays about 

 III, 14; dorsal rays about X, 13. Species rather numerous, in 

 the tropical seas. 



268 Priacanthus arenatus Cuv. & Val. 

 Catalwfa,; Bigeye 



.Priacanthus arenatus CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. Ill, 101, 



1829, Brazil; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 971, 1883; 



JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1237, 1896, pi. OXCV, 



fig. 511, 1900; H. M. SMITH, Bull. TJ. S. F. C. 1897, 100. 1898, Woods 



Hole, Mass. 

 Priacanthus macrophthalmus CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. Ill, 



97, 1829, based upon Anthias macrophthahn us BLOCH, an Asiatic species; 



GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit Mus. I, 215, 1859; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 



16, U. S. Nat. Mus.. 544, 1883. 



Body oblong, compressed, moderately long, its greatest depth 

 about one third of the total length without caudal; the caudal 

 peduncle slender, its least depth equal to length of snout. The 

 head is rather short, about two sevenths of total without caudal ; 

 the snout is short, one four.th as long as the head, and two 

 thirds as long as the eye; the interorbital space is narrow and 

 convex; the posterior nostrils are in a common oblong opening 

 within which is a septum considerably below the surface; gill 

 rakers 20 to 23; the maxillary is broad posteriorly and reaches 

 to below the front of the pupil; the lower jaw projects consider- 

 ably; .preopercle with an oblique point at its angle; opercle with 

 a flat 'pointed spine, not projecting. Dorsal spines all slender, 

 the first only one half as long as the last and two ninths as 



