Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 967 



with very small scales. Color silvery, bluish above; body with numer- 

 ous, small, black dots, which are most numerous along bases of fins, 

 caudal peduncle, top of head, and on snout, and largest along base of 

 anal ; vertical fins covered with small black dots, those on caudal small- 

 est; pectorals dotted. Length 3 inches. Pacific Ocean, off Colombia. 

 Length 2f inches. (Palometa, Spanish name of these fishes, from Paloma, 

 dove.) 



Stromatem palometa, JORDAN & BOLLMAV, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mas., 1889, 156, off Coast of Colom- 

 bia, latitude 8 i6'3o"N., longitude 79 37'45"W.; Albatross Station, No. 2804. 

 (Typo, No. 41136. Coll. Albatross). 



1366. RHOMBUS MEDIUS (Peters). 

 (PALOMETA.) 



Head3|; depth 1-^-; pectoral 2| in body; dorsal lobe 4; caudal 2f. 

 D. Ill, 42 ; A. Ill, 32. Form broad, ovate. Fins distinctly punctulate. 

 Length 7 inches. Otherwise essentially as in Rhombus simillimus. 

 Pacific Coast of North America, Mazatlan to Panama, scarce. This 

 species is now known only from the original type in the museum at Berlin. 

 In 1882, numerous specimens were collected at Panama by Dr. Gilbert, 

 all of which have since been destroyed by fire, (medius, midway.) 



Slroniateu.t medius, PETERS, Berliner Monatsberichte, 707, 1869, Mazatlan; JORDAN, Proc. Ac. 

 Nat. Sci. Phila., 1883, 284; FORDICE, I. c., 314, 1884. 



1367. RHOMBUS SIMILLIMUS (Ayres). 



(CALIFORNIA POMPANO.) 



Head 4 ; depth 2. D. Ill, 46 ; A. Ill, 40. Body ovate, blunt anteriorly, 

 with a short, slender tail, the caudal fin widely forked. Mouth very 

 small, terminal, the maxillary extending to the eye. Teeth very feeble. 

 Gill rakers short, slender, less than half diameter of eye. Eye small. 

 One or 2 procumbent spines before the dorsal ; longest rays of dorsal of 

 head ; pubic spine small ; pectorals longer than head ; no pores along 

 base of dorsal. Spines of dorsal and anal very small or entirely obsolete. 

 Scales small, silvery, deciduous. Bluish above, bright silvery below; 

 fins punctulate; anterior lobes of dorsal and anal dusky-edged. Length 

 10 inches. Pacific Coast of the United States, Puget Sound to San 

 Diego; abundant in summer, especially about Santa Cruz ; highly prized 

 as a food-fish, its flesh being rich and delicate, (simillimus, very similar, 

 to Rhcmibus triacanthus.) 



Porouotmssiinillimux, AYRES, Proc. Cal. Ac. Nat. Sci., 1860, 84, San Francisco. 

 Slromateus simillimus, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 451, 1883; FORDICE, I c., 314, 1884. 



Subgenus PORONOTUS, Gill. 



1368. RHOMBUS TRIACANTHUS (Peck). 



(DOLLAR-FISH ; HARVEST-FISH ; BUTTER-FISH; LA FAYETTE.) 



Head 4; depth 2; eye 4. D. Ill, 45; A. Ill, 38. Body oval, much 

 compressed. Dorsal and ventral outlines about equally curved. Snouf, 



