Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1329 

 545. POMADASIS, Lacepede. 



(BURROS.) 



Pomadasis, LACEPKDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iv, 516, 1803 (argenteus). 

 Let pristipomes, CUVIER, llegno Animal, Ed. 1, 279, 1817 (hasta, etc.). 

 J'rintipoma, Oken, Isis, 1817 (hasta). 



J'riatipoma, CUVIER, Eegne Animal, Ed. 2, II, 176, 1829 (hasta, etc.). 

 Khcncus, JORDAN & EVERMANN, Check-List, 387, 1896 (panamensis) . 

 Khonciscus, JORDAN & EVERMANN, Check-List, 387, 1896 (crocro). 



Body oblong, somewhat compressed, the back not much elevated ; mouth 

 rather small, terminal, low, the lips thin ; maxillary usually not extending 

 to opposite the eye, its tip not reaching the posterior edge of the broad 

 preorbital; premaxillaries protractile; teeth on jaws only, in villiform 

 bands, subequal, or the outer series in upper jaw more or less enlarged; 

 no red on the jaws; a central groove behind the symphysis of the lower 

 jaw; checks and opercles scaly; preopercle rather distinctly serrate, the 

 serr;u below not turned forward; suprascapula serrate; scales large, those 

 above lateral line in series parallel with it; no small scales at base of 

 the others; soft dorsal and anal fins naked, or with a very few scales 

 at base; dorsal fin emarginate, the spines strong, 11 to 13 in number, the 

 soft rays 11 to 14; anal fin of 7 or 8 soft rays, short, with the second spine 

 always very strong; gill rakers feeble, few in number; caudal lunate, 

 forked. This genus is composed of small shore fishes, some of its repre- 

 sentatives being found in most tropical seas. Several of the species enter 

 fresh waters, and perhaps belong to the brackish- water fauna. Numerous 

 species are found on the west coast of Africa and about the Cape Verde 

 Islands, but so far as known none enters European waters, (itcbua, oper- 

 culuru; da(5v$, rough, hence more correctly written Pomadasys.) 



RHENCHDS ('pe>Ko?, or 'pd-y^o?, snoring, hence Jtonchus, Ronco, tfoncador): 



a. Teeth in both jaws in villiform bands, the outer series not at all enlarged; preo- 



pen-lo with weak serratures; dorsal spines 12. 



b. Third dorsal spine produced, much longer than the others, about half length of 

 head; second anal spine somewhat shorter; profile convex; scales nearly 

 smooth ; pectoral fin very long, as long as head. Color silvery, lower fins 

 white; a distinct dark blotch on opercle and a fainter one on sides below 

 spinous dorsal. Body rather robust. PANAMENSIS, 1699. 



aa. Teeth in both jaws in villiform bands, those in the outer series in the upper jaw 

 more or less enlarged ; preopercle sharply serrate; caudal fin lunate or trun- 

 cate, the lobes short. 



PRlSTII'o.MA (Trpi'o-Tijs, saw ; Trci/oia, opercillum) : 

 c. Dorsal spines XII; preorbital broad. 



d. Mouth large, maxillary reaching to anterior third of eye, about 2f in 



head. 



e. Scales rather small, 8-56-20. Body elongate-elliptical, compressed, 

 somewhat elevated at nape; anterior profile straight from nape 

 to end of snout ; snout produced, blunt, rounded; dorsal spines 

 low, the longest 2| in head; second anal spine very long, If in 

 head; pectoral short, not reaching vent. Coloration uniform. 



BAYANUS, 1700. 



ee. Scales still smaller, 65 in a longitudinal series; body elongate; maxil- 

 lary extending a little beyond front of eye; anal spines strong, 

 the second three-fourths the depth of body. Color nearly plain ; 

 silvery below. PRODUCTUS, 1701. 



