962 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



head, not depresslble into a fissure of the abdomen ; pectorals 1 in head ; 

 vent well behind ventrals. Color in life salmon red, rather bright and 

 nearly uniform, darker on back, silvery under the chin ; fins all salmon, 

 with black areas toward base on both dorsals and anal ; ventrals largely 

 black; lining of opercles pale. Length 5 inches. A single specimen, in 

 fair condition, was found in the stomach of a Red Grouper from the 

 Snapper Banks off Pensacola. (rubescens, reddening.) 



Steinegeria rubescens, JORDAN & EVEBMANN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1886, 467, Snapper Banks 

 off Pensacola. (Typo, No. 37991. Coll. Jordan & Evermann.) 



Family CXXXIV. CENTROLOPHID^E. 

 (THE RUDDER-FISHES.) 



Body oblong or elongate, compressed, covered with moderate cycloid, 

 adherent scales. Lateral line present, straightish. Bones of head some- 

 times serrulate. Mouth moderate, with small teeth. Premaxillaries pro- 

 tractile. (Esophagus with tooth-like processes as in Stromateidw. Verte- 

 brae in normal number, 10 -f 14 or 15 = 24 or 25. Dorsal fin long, 3 to 10 

 of the anterior rays simple, more or less spine-like; anal similar, shorter; 

 caudal lunate, on a rather stout peduncle ; ventrals well developed, tho- 

 racic, I, 5. Skeleton moderately firm. Fishes of the open seas, inhabit- 

 ing moderate depths. Three genera and about 6 species recognized. This 

 group is closely related to the Stromateidce, but seems worthy of separate 

 recognition. (Centrolophince, GILL, Proc. Am. Phil. Soc., xxi, 666, 1884.) 

 CENTEOLOPHIN^E : 



a. Dorsal spines slender, graduated, joined by the membrane; soft rays moderately elevated; 

 head naked, its bones entire. CENTROLOPHUS, 439. 



MUPIN/K : 



aa. Dorsal spines short and stout, subequal, about as long as soft rays; fins not falcate; sides 



of head scaly. 



6. Eyes small; dorsal spines scarcely connected by membrane; preopercle, interopercle, 

 and subopercle finely serrate. PALINURICHTHYS, 440. 



439. CENTROLOPHUS, Lac6pede. 

 (BLACK RUFFS.) 



Centrolophus, LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iv, 441, 1803, (niger). 

 Pompilus, LOWE, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 81, 1839, (pompilus). 

 Acentrolophus, NARDO, Prodr. Ichth. Adriat., sp. 62, (maculosus). 

 Gymnocephalus, Cocco, Giorn. Sci. Lettr. Sic., 26, 1829, (messinensis). 



Body elongate, covered with minute scales; lateral line present, arched 

 anteriorly. Head naked, unarmed. Month rather small, with small teeth 

 in jaws only. Epibranchials of fourth gill arch with long, toothed pro- 

 cesses as in Stromateus, Rhombus, Mupus* and Palinurichthys. Dorsal long, 

 continuous, not falcate, with about 3 slender, graduated spines. Dorsal 

 and anal scaly ; anal with 3 slender spines. Ventrals moderate, thoracic, 



* Mupus, Cocco = Leirus, Lowe, based on Mupus imperialis. Cocco = Centrolophus ovalis, Cuvier 

 & Valenciennes. 



