ZAPH LEGES . 23 



V 



SCOMBEROMORUS MACULATUS ('Mitchill). Vertebrae 47, rather deeper 

 than long, moderately grooved. Interhsemals 15, short, straight, parallel, 

 close-set, a little more than % depth of body above anal fin. Tail with 

 neural spines ; teeth, 12 -}- 12 in each jaw, wide-set, compressed, those in 

 front smaller but not crowded. Maxillary half head or a bit more. 

 Postorbital part of head a little shorter than eye and snout; opercle very 

 short, 2*4 in postorbital part of head. Dorsal spines slender, low, well 

 spaced. Second dorsal inserted nearer opercle than caudal. 



This species is closely related to SCOMBEROMORUS REGALIS (Bloch) = 

 S. PLUMIERI Lacepede, the type of the genus SCOMBEROMORUS of which 

 (Lacepede), type of CYBIUM from the Philippines, is an exact synonym. 

 SCOMBEROMORUS COMMERSONI has the interhaemals strong, straight, paral- 

 lel, % depth of body; teeth on each side 12, subequal, much compressed. 

 SCOMBEROMORUS CA VALLA (Cuvier and Valenciennes), the big kingfish of 

 the Florida Keys, has the interhsemals similar but shorter, 14 depth of 

 body; teeth 12 on each side, much compressed, subequal. 



Family ZAPHLEGID^E 

 Zaphleges Jordan, new genus. 



(Type ZAPHLEGES LONGURIO Jordan.) 



Body elongate, symmetrically formed, much as in SPHYR^ENA; head 

 moderately elongate; mouth large; teeth rather small, slender, conical, 

 pointed, somewhat spaced, about 60 on the side of the lower jaw ; teeth 

 in upper jaw and roof of mouth obliterated ; no evidence of canines ; ver- 

 tebrae small, slender, longer than deep, about 54 in number ; interneurals 

 strong ; interhaemals obliterated ; dorsal fins separate, the first not far 

 behind head, of about 9 slender spines ; soft dorsal rather long, not ele- 

 vated ; anal apparently similar, inserted behind its front, with two slender 

 spines ; pectorals moderate, inserted opposite middle of opercle ; ventrals 

 directly below pectorals ; their rays apparently I, 5 ; caudal fin large, well 

 forked, with short, strong basal rays like fulcra; scales cycloid, of mod- 

 erate size, the number probably about 60, but no accurate count possible. 

 This genus resembles the section of elongate ApocoNiDyE, DINOLES- 

 TES, SCOMBROPS, and TELESCOPIAS. But, with many vertebrae, it has no 

 near affinity to any of these, and the teeth, so far as preserved, are small 

 and equal. The resemblances to the herring on the one hand and to 

 the mackerels on the other are fallacious. From ATHERINIM: and SPHY- 

 R/ENID.E it differs in the strictly thoracic ventrals. Its vertebrae are much 

 more numerous than in any of these forms. (ZaqpAEyrig, full of fire, vig- 

 orous.) 



