716 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



mostly naked except along the anterior margin. Scales of body minute, 

 especially above. Dorsal fin low posteriorly ; the height of its anterior 

 lobe equaling that of anal, or length of postorbital part of head; its 

 longest ray J the base of the fin ; last rays of dorsal and anal much ele- 

 vated in young; caudal lunate, its lower lobe nearly half longer than the 

 upper; middle rays about as long as eye. Ventrals inserted midway 

 between base of caudal and middle of eye, their length a little less than 

 that of pectoral, and equal to postorbital part of head; insertion of anal 

 opposite that of dorsal. Color green, silvery below; no lateral stripe; 

 pectorals and dorsal blackish. Scales and bones green. Length 3 to 5 

 feet. West Indies, Florida Keys to Brazil ; generally abundant ; a large, 

 vigorous species, occasionally becoming dangerous in its leaps from the 

 water. The young occasionally northward (Ocean City, New Jersey 

 Bean). (pa<^?, rhaphis, a sharp instrument ; an old name of the pike.) 



Belone raphidoma, KANZANI, Nov. Comm. Ac. Nat. Sci. Inst. Bonon., v, 1842, 359, pi. 37, fig. 1, 



Brazil; GVNTHER, Cat., vi. 249, 1866. 

 Belone gerania, CUVJER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xvm, 437, 1846, Martinique; GUN- 



THER, Cat., vr, 241, 180(5 



Belone crossa, POEY, Memoriae, n, 291, ISfil, Cuba. 



Belone melanocltira, POEY, Memorias, n, 294, 1861, Havana; GUNTHER, Cat., vi, 249, 1866. 

 Tylosurus gladius, BEAN, Pror.. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1882, 239, 430, Pensacola. (Type, No. 30151. 



Coll. Stearns.) JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 901, 1883. 



Tylosurus raphidoma, JORDAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1886, 35; JORDAN & FORDICE, I. c., 353. 

 Tylosurus crassus, JORDAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1884, 112. 



1063. TYLOSURUS GALEATUS (Cuvier & Valenciennes). 



D. 15; A. 17. An imperfectly known species, apparently differing from 

 T. raphidoma in having the caudal little forked and in having no caudal 

 keel. Scales small. Beak rather strong, If times length of rest of head. 

 Top of head with a bony casque, its surface smooth; its borders with 

 notches like those on a violin. Cayenne. (Cuvier & Valenciennes.) 

 (galeatus, having a helmet.) 

 Bel<me galeata, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xvm, 429, 1846, Cayenne. 



1064. TTLOSURUS PACIFICUS (Steindachner). 



D. 21 to 22 ; A. 19 or 20. Closely allied to Tylosurus acus, the teeth 

 shorter and weaker, the greatest depth of body equal to length of pec- 

 toral. A grayish lateral streak. Acapulco to Panama; a large species; 

 not common. 



Belone pacifica, STEINDACHNER, Ichth. Beitr., in, 65, 1875, Panama; Acapulco. 

 Tylosurus pacificus, JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1882, 624. 



1065. TYLOSURUS ACUS (Lacepedo). 



(HOUNDFISH; AGTJJON.) 



D. 23; A. 21; scales 380. Caudal keel strong, black; 1 or more folds of 

 skin across the preopercle; scales and bones green. Beak strong, more 

 elongate than in Tylosurus raphidoma, its length about twice that of rest 

 of head; greatest depth of body about | length of pectoral. Dorsal fin 



