The Wrasse-Fishes 



deep and compressed; profile moderately steep, well rounded from 

 snout to dorsal; maxillary reaching vertical from anterior nostril; 

 jaws about equal, with two or three large canines and smaller 

 ones on the side, which gradually diminish in size backward; 

 gillrakers very short and blunt, about 3+6; a patch of small 

 scales behind eye, extending downward to middle of cheek, 

 where there are 5 or 6 series, the head and opercles otherwise 

 naked; pectoral broad and rounded, -not quite reaching tips of 

 ventrals; soft dorsal higher than spinous portion; caudal truncate 

 or slightly rounded. Colour, blackish or greenish, the young 

 usually with about 3 pairs of dark bars connected by reticulations; 

 adult often nearly plain blackish; chin white; eye greenish. 



The genus Lachnolaimus is characterized by the strongly 

 compressed body, the sharp, elevated back, and the long, steep 

 profile; snout sharp; mouth low, horizontal, the jaws narrow; 

 teeth in front prominent, canine-like, in a single series; no pos- 

 terior canines; cheeks and opercles with imbricate scales; scales of 

 moderate size, thin and adherent; lateral line complete; dorsal 

 with 14 spines, the first 3 strong, falcate, produced in long 

 streamers in the adult, the membranes between these spines very 

 low, the filamentous tips longer than the head; other spines all 

 low, gradually shorter to the eleventh; soft dorsal and anal much 

 produced; caudal lobes falcate; third anal spine strong; pectoral 

 and ventrals short. 



This genus contains a single species, L. maximus, the hog- 

 fish, capitan, or perro perro, a large, showy species usually 

 common throughout the West Indies north to Key West and 

 Bermuda. It is especially abundant about rocky reefs. It was 

 found by us in Porto Rico, where it is called "el capitan." It 

 reaches a weight of 20 pounds, and a length of 2 or 3 feet, 

 though those usually seen in markets are much smaller. It changes 

 greatly in appearance with age. The large adult male is remark- 

 able on account of a heavy black blotch over the forehead and 

 eyes. The name "hogfish" refers to the swine-like appearance 

 of the head, jaws and teeth. Like all other members of this 

 family, it feeds chiefly on small fishes, mollusks and crustaceans. 



The hogfish is an important food-fish throughout its range, 

 and is one of the most common and attractive fishes seen in 

 the wells of the fishing-boats of Key West and Nassau. It is a 

 favourite fish in Cuba, though at one time its sale was forbidden 

 by law on account of the supposed poisonous character of its 

 flesh. This opinion obtains to some extent in Porto Rico, but 



478 



