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Mojarra Prieta 



Mojarra Prieta 

 Hcemiilon scnddert Gill 



This species occurs on the Pacific coast of America from the 

 Gulf of California to Panama. It is everywhere common, especially 

 about rocks, reaches a length of a foot, and is a good food-fish. It is 

 the Pacific coast representative of H. parra, reaches a similar size, is 

 equally abundant, and passes through a similar range of variations and 

 colour changes. 



Hamilton carbonarium, the ronco carbonero, is known from the 

 West Indies, the Bermudas, and "Brazil. It seems to be rare about 

 Porto Rico, but is very common at Havana, where it is esteemed as a 

 food-fish. It is a small species, usually not exceeding a foot in length. 



Colour in life, light bluish gray, much resembling the common 

 grunt; body with 7 or 8 deep brassy yellow stripes, horizontal above 

 lateral line, those below a little curved, following the rows of scales, 

 3 above and 3 to 5 below the lateral line, the latter paler; little black 

 under angle of preopercle; caudal blackish yellow at tip; soft dorsal, 

 anal, and ventrals yellowish gray, the distal part blackish; spinous dor- 

 sal bluish, deep yellow at base and edge, a yellow stripe along middle; 

 mouth deep red. 



Hcemiilon steindachneri, the ronco raiado, is a species of rather 

 wide distribution. It occurs on both coasts of tropical America, from 

 the Gulf of California to Panama, and from St. Lucia to Brazil. It is 

 common on the coast of Brazil, and is especially abundant about 

 Mazatlan. 



Colour in life, olive or golden brown, golden below, the edges of 

 scales of back with brilliant blue lustre, each scale on back and sides with 

 a median pearly blue spot, these forming very distinct streaks, following 

 the rows of scales; a large, distinct, round blackish blotch on base of 

 caudal fin and caudal peduncle, more distinct than in any other species; 

 a distinct bluish black vertical bar on lower anterior part of opercle, 

 partly concealed by angle of preopercle; fins all bright yellow or 

 golden; ventrals and anal not dark; peritoneum dusky. 



Hcemulon melanurum, the jeniguana, is known from the West 

 Indies and south to Brazil. It is rather common at Havana, but was 

 not found by us in Porto Rico. It grows to a foot in length and is a 

 good food-fish. 



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