Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 957 



with age. Genera 3 (Brama, Taractes, Pterycombua) with about 10 species. 

 (Scombridw, part, Giinther, Cat., n, 408-411, 1860.) 



a.* Dorsal fin beginning at a point behind the gill opening. 



b. Scales large (40 to 50 in lengthwise series); lateral lino obsolete; each scale deeply 



emargiuato and with a median horizontal ridge (as in Ileraclis and the young of 



Brama); this character persistent through life; soft fins chieily scaly at base and 



on the anterior lobe; ventrals inserted before pectorals. TABACTES, 4156. 



66. Scales small (about 80 in lateral line) those of sides with a long bony vertical ridge 



and a narrow cycloid free part, which conceals the ridge in the adult; lateral lino 



developed; soft fins almost entirely scaly; veutrals inserted below pectorals. 



BHAMA, 437. 



436. TARACTES, Lowe. 



Taractes, LOWE, Proc. Zool. Soc. Loud., 1863, 82, (asper, probably young of Brama or Taraclea 



long ip inn is). 

 Argo, DODERLEIN, in Steindachner's Fische Japan, in, 7, 1884, (steindachneri); name preoccupied 



in Mollusks, by Bohadsch, 1761. 



Body ovate, compressed, the nape less elevated than in Brama, the back 

 more so; scales large, firm, deeply emarginate and with a horizontal 

 median ridge or spine, as in the young of Brama, this character persistent ; 

 no lateral line ; dorsal and anal more or less falcate, the spines few and 

 slender, adnate to the soft rays ; scales on the fins largely confined to the 

 anterior lobe ; ventrals small, inserted before pectorals. Caudal simply 

 lunate, on a slender peduncle. A well-marked genus intermediate between 

 Ftcraclis and Brama. The large scales (lateral line 43) of Taractes asper, 

 show, as Dr. Liitken has indicated, that it is the young of Brama longi- 

 irinnis, rather than of Brama raii. This species, longipinnis, is very closely 

 related to the Japanese form called Argo steindachneri. The name Taractes 

 may therefore supersede Argo, which is preoccupied, (rapd/cr^f, a dis- 

 turber.) 



1356. TAKACTES SAUSSURII (Lunel). 



Head 4 in total length ; depth 2*. D. Ill, 30 ; A. II, 20 ; V. I, 5 ; B. 7 j 

 scales 50. Body compressed, elevated; back and belly slightly keeled; 

 line of profile strongly elevated toward front of dorsal, thence descending 

 gradually to the forehead, where it is abruptly decurved in a semicircle. 

 Eye large, 3 in head. Mouth oblique, the maxillary nearly reaching pos- 

 terior margin of eye. Dorsal beginning behind base of pectoral, its 

 length of base equal to height of body ; second soft ray longest, nearly 

 of height of body ; anal inserted below fourteenth dorsal ray, its 

 first soft ray J depth of body ; pectoral reaching twelfth soft ray of dorsal ; 

 ventral under base of pectoral, its first ray J height of body. Silvery 

 and gray; the dorsal, from its first soft ray to the ninth, broadly bor- 

 dered with white, the rest of the fin with black ; first 7 rays of anal 

 perfectly white, the next 4 bordered with white, the rest of the fin black- 

 ish; both lobes of caudal broadly bordered with white, the 6 middle rays 



* Dorsal beginning on the head above the preopercle in Pterycombu*, Fries. Plerycombus brama, 

 Fries, the known species of this genus, is thus far known from Iceland, Norway, and neighboring 

 waters. It doubtless occurs in Greenland waters. 



