Jordan and Everman n . Fishes of North A merica . 1313 



of snout to caudal peduncle ; ventral outline curved from chin to breast, 

 thence straight to anal spine, and slanting obliquely upward to caudal 

 peduncle. Snout small and pointed; mouth small and oblique, the lower 

 jaw slightly projecting; teeth all small, the outer scarcely enlarged; pre- 

 opercle finely serrate, the posterior limb somewhat concave, the angle 

 broadly rounded. Gill rakers short and slender, about -- the diameter of 

 pupil, 8 -{-15; scales above lateral line arranged in oblique series; tip of 

 snout, chin, and maxillary naked; scales on head small and crowded; soft 

 fins scaled. Pectoral reaching to vent; ventrals reaching halfway to 

 second anal ray ; second anal spine a little longer and stronger than third ; 

 upper lobe of caudal the longer, about equal to head. Color as in Lythru- 

 lon flaviguttatum, in spirits, dark steel gray; a small very distinct pale 

 spot on each scale of back and sides, surrounded by darker, this spot, in 

 spirits, light yellowish; in life of a pearly blue; head plain; a small 

 dusky blotch under angle of preopercle; fins plain bright yellow in life. 

 Young with a large black blotch at base of caudal, as in Hcemulon stein- 

 dachneri and Orthostccchus maculicauda, and without the dusky horizon- 

 tal streaks seen in most of the other species. This species differs from 

 L. flariguttatum in having fewer gill rakers, the depth and arch of the 

 back greater. Rather common in the estuary at Mazatlan, not yet noticed 

 elsewhere; all the specimens of Lythrulon from other localities examined 

 by us being referable to L. flaviguttatum. Described from a specimen 

 9 inches long from Mazatlan. The species is probably not rare, but has 

 been confounded with the preceding, (opalcscens, opal-like, referring to 

 the pearly spots.) 



Lythrulon opalescens, JORDAN & STAEKS, Fishes of Sinaloa, in Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci. 1895, 

 459, pi. 40, Mazatlan (Type, No. 2963, L. S. Jr. Univ. Mus. Coll. Hopkins Exped. to 

 Sinaloa). 



541. ORTHOSTCECHUS, Gill. 

 (STRIPED GRUNTS.) 



Orthostcechus, GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862, 255 (maculicauda). 



This geiius is closely allied to Hcemulon, differing most obviously in the 

 arrangement of the large scales, which are throughout in series parallel 

 with the lateral line ; the fins are long and low, the gill rakers rather 

 numerous, the chin projecting; the skull not essentially different from that 

 of Hcemulon. One species. (6/30o, straight; GroixoS, row.) 



1680. ORTHOSTCECHUS MACULICAUDA, Gill. 

 (RoNCADOR RAIADO. ) 



depth 2^; eye large, 3| in head in adult. D. XIII (rarely XIV), 

 15; A. Ill, 10; scales 5^-51-11. Body oblong-elliptical, not much com- 

 pressed; the back little elevated. Head rather large, moderately pointed 

 anteriorly ; the profile nearly straight from the snout to the nape ; snout 

 short, low, rather pointed, its length 3 in head; mouth small, a little 

 oblique, the maxillary extending to front of pupil, its length 2^ in head; 



