1272 Bulletin 4.7, United States National Museum. 



pale streaks along the rows of scales. In life, according to Poey's figure, 

 it had much the coloration of Neomcenis synagris. Described from a speci- 

 men from Havana 10 inches in length. Cuba; 2 specimens known, (am- 

 biguus, uncertain.) 



Mesoprionambiguus, POEY, Memorias, n, 152, pi. 12, fig. 4, pi. 13, fig. 8, 1860, Cuba (Type, No. 



13036, U. S. N. M.) ; POEY, Synopsis, 295. 

 Lutjanus ambiguus, POEY, Enumeratio, 30, 1875; JORDAN & SWAIN, 1. c.,450; JORDAN & 



FESLER, I. c., 450. 



1647. NEOMJ11VIS MAHOGONI (Cuvier & Valenciennes). 

 (OJANCO; MAHOGANY SNAPPER.) 



Head 2|; depth 2. D. X, 12; A. Ill, 8; scales (6) 9-62-14, 50 pores. 

 Body rather elongate, strongly compressed, the back well elevated, pro- 

 file almost straight or slightly concave from tip of snout to nape, thence 

 moderately convex; snout rather slender and pointed, 3 in head; eye 

 large, 3| in head ; interorbital area flattish, with a median keel, 6 in head ; 

 preorbital rather broad, its least width 6^ in head ; mouth large, maxillary 

 reaching front of pupil, 2|in head; lower jaw strongly projecting; upper 

 jaw with a narrow band of villiform teeth, outside of which is a single 

 series of enlarged but comparatively small teeth ; 4 moderate canines in 

 front of jaw, 2 of them larger, about 2 in diameter of pupil; lower 

 jaw with a single series of rather small teeth, none of them at all canine- 

 like; tongue with an oblanceolate patch of teeth, tapering behind, its 

 length more than twice its width ; vomer with a broadly arrow-shaped 

 patch of teeth, with backward prolongation on median line, its length 

 about equaling width of patch in front; pterygoid and hyoid bones 

 without teeth. Gill rakers numerous, about 10 developed on lower part 

 of arch, besides 4 or 5 rudimentary ones, those near angle largest, 

 their length almost diameter of eye. Preopercle with its posterior 

 margin almost vertical, broadly and rather deeply emarginate, very 

 weakly or scarcely serrate above, the angle projecting backward and 

 armed with several rather coarse teeth, the lower limb smooth. Scales 

 rather small, those below lateral line somewhat larger, the rows above the 

 lateral line running obliquely upward and backward, those below in 

 almost straight horizontal series ; cheeks with 6 rows of scales, 1 row on 

 interopercle, 1 on subopercle, and 7 on opercle ; temporal region with a 

 band of small scales, before and behind which is a series of larger ones; 

 top of head, snout, and jaws naked; bases of soft dorsal and anal scaly. 

 Dorsal spines rather weak and slender, the outline of the fin rather 

 strongly convex, the fourth spine longest, 2-f in head ; the tenth spine 4 in 

 head ; margin of soft dorsal very gently convex, the first and last rays 

 slightly shorter than rest of fin, median rays 3 in head; caudal not 

 deeply forked, the upper lobe little longer than lower, its length If in 

 middle rays, which are 2 in head, margin of anal little rounded, the 

 middle rays If length of last ray, 3 in head, the first ray reaching almost 

 to tip of last ray when the fin is depressed ; anal spines small, the second as 

 long as third and stronger, 4f- in head ; ventrals 2^ in head ; pectorals scarcely 

 reaching front of anal, 1 in head. Color in life, deep brown, silvery 



