GENUS UPENEUS CUVIER 

 The Goatfishes 



Body oblong, compressed; mouth moderate, nearly horizontal, 

 low, the jaws subequal; eye large, high up, posterior; opercle short 

 and deep, with a posterior spine; each jaw with strong, unequal 

 teeth, in i or 2 series; no teeth on vomer or palatines; lips 

 well developed; the bone which forms a hook over the maxillary 

 less developed than in Mullus; interorbital space convex and 

 narrow; opercle ending in one spine; barbels nearly as long as 

 head; scales very large, somewhat ctenoid; lateral line continuous; 

 head covered with large scales. 



Species numerous in tropical seas. About 7 species within 

 our limits. 



a. Teeth in each jaw uniserial (or irregularly biserial above); all 



the teeth coarse and distinct ; maculatus, 270 



aa. Teeth on each jaw biserial, at least in front. 



b. Dorsal and caudal with dark crossbands; parvus, 271 



bb. Dorsal and caudal plain yellow; martinicus, 271 



Red Goatfish; Salmonete 



Upeneus maculatus (Bloch) 



Generally common from Rio Janeiro through the West Indies 

 to Key West. It occurs in abundance about Porto Rico where 



270 



