1254 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



14; A. Ill, 18; scales 6 (4)-50-13; eye 6J in head; snout 2J ; maxillary 2|; pectoral 1J; 

 ventral 2; anal 3; third anal spine 5|; caudal If; preorhital 3* (4 in smaller specimens 20 

 inches long; 5 in those of 1 foot long). Body very robust, not much compressed, the 

 back not sharp. Head very large ; the mouth very large, reaching middle of eye. Canines 

 very strong, in front of jaw and on sides of lower; vomerine teeth in a V-shaped patch, 

 not prolonged behind. Gill rakers 7, very small, the longest less than pupil. Posterior 

 nostril oblong, much longer than anterior. Preopercle slightly notched; 7 or 8 rows of 

 scales on cheek. Dorsal deeply notched, rather low ; soft dorsal low and rounded ; anal 

 low and rounded; pectoral long and pointed ; caudal short, scarcely concave ; anal spines 

 short, graduated. Scales above lateral line not in a parallel series. Maroon color above, 

 copper-red below, becoming salmon color anteriorly ; fins blackish, tinged with maroon ; 

 pectoral dull yellow olive, blackish at tip ; a blackish cross spot on base of pectoral, growing 

 faint with age. Inside of the mouth salmon ; ventral quite dark, the tips black ; iris salmon 

 color ; no blue spots or line below eye. Young with spinous dorsal edged with black ; anal 

 and caudal black ; ventrals black tipped ; a blackcrescent on upper part of base of pectoral. 

 Young 1 foot long, black with progressively less red and narrow preorbital ; color largely 

 blackish, tinged with copper on belly and lower parts. The young are called Pargo negro ; 

 the half-grown, Pargo prieto ; the adult, Pargo mareno, or Maroon snapper. This species 

 reaches a much larger size than any other member of the genus on the Pacific coast, those 

 specimens obtained by us with dynamite among the Yeuados Islands having a weight of 

 about 25 pounds. It is a food-fish of some importance. It undergoes very considerable 

 changes with age, as the notes above show. The young are dark in color, the bodies 

 banded, and the amount of red very slight. The adult becomes uniformly colored with 

 much red, and with increased age there is a progressive lengthening of the snout and 

 widening of the preorbital. 



1632. NEOIOENIS CYANOPTERUS* (Cuvier & Yalenciennes). 



(CUBERA.) 



Head 2f ; depth 3 ; eye rather small, 5f in head. D. X, 14 ; A. Ill, 8 ; scales 

 (6) 7-50-12 ; 50 pores. Body elongate, rather robust, the back little ele- 

 vated ; profile from snout to nape nearly straight ; snout long, thick, rather 

 acute in profile, 3 in head ; interorbital space flattish or gently convex, 6 

 in head ; occipital keel low ; preorbital broad, 4 in head ; mouth very large ; 

 maxillary reaching middle of eye, 2 in head. Canine teeth larger than in 

 any other species, especially those in lower jaw ; upper jaw with a narrow 

 band of villiform teeth, outside of which is a series of strong sharp teeth; 

 4 canines in front, 2 of them very long and strong, their lengths f- diam- 

 eter of eye ; lower j aw with 5 or 6 very strong caninelike teeth on each 

 side, the largest little smaller than the canines of upper jaw; a few 

 villiform teeth in front of jaw; tongue with a large oblanceolate patch of 

 teeth, pointed behind, its length about twice its greatest width; vomer 



* This species is common in the markets of Havana, where it is known as Cubera. It 

 grows to a very considerable size, and specimens of less than 5 pounds weight are very 

 rare in the markets. A specimen from Carthagena, United States of Colombia, is in the 

 museum at Cambridge. The species seems to have an indifferent reputation as a food- 

 fish, being often unwholesome. It has always a ragged appearance in the market, its 

 scales being less firmly attached than those of other species. This species is very closely 

 related to N. griseus, but so far as we have seen the two may always be distinguished by 

 the difference in form of the vomerine patch of teeth and by the development of the 

 canines of the lower jaw. These are larger in JV. cyanopte-rus than in any other American 

 species. This species is almost identical with N. novemfasciatus of the Pacific coast, the 

 somewhat larger mouth being the most marked point of difference. The dusky area or 

 spot at base of pectoral is more distinct in the Atlantic form. L. dentatus of Dumeril and 

 M.cyanoptcrus of Cuvier and Yalenciennes are identical with L.cubera, Poey. This is 

 shown by the examination of the original types. JL paryus, Cuvier and Yalenciennes, is 

 probably the same. 



