1338 Bulletin <//, United States National Museum. 



Pristipoma chalceum, GUNTHER, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1864, 146, Panama. 

 Pristipoma kneri, STEINDACHNER, Ichth. Notizen, vm, 3, 1869, Mazatlan. 

 Orthopristis chalceus, EVERMANN & JENKINS, Proc. "U. S. Nat. Mus. 1891, 149 ; JORDAN & 

 FESLER, Z.c.,499; JORDAN, Fishes of Sinaloa, 463, 1895. 



1710. ORTHOPRISTIS CHRYSOPTERUS (Linnseus). 

 (PiGFisH; SAILOR'S CHOICE; HOGFISH.) 



Head 3i; depth 2. D. XII or XIII, 16; A. Ill, 12 or 13; scales 10-60-19; 

 maxillary 3; eye 5 in head; preorbital 3| ; pectoral 1^; snout 2 ; highest 

 dorsal spine 2|; second anal spine 5|; longest anal ray 3; base soft dorsal 

 in spinous 1J. Body ovate- elliptical, somewhat elevated at shoulders, con- 

 siderably compressed. Snout long and sharp, jaws equal, each with a 

 narrow band of slender teeth, the outer above a little larger; maxillary 

 not reaching to eye; preopercle very slightly serrate above, the seme 

 blunt, obsolete below ; gill rakers short and slender, 7 -J- 12. The crown, 

 cheeks, and pieces of the gill cover covered with small scales; snout in 

 advance of the nostrils, suborbitals, and lower jaw naked; dorsal and 

 anal spines inclosed in a deep scaly sheath, the soft rays naked. Outline 

 of dorsal very slightly notched; anal rather high, second anal spine 

 shorter than third; pectoral shortish, reaching past tips of ventrals; 

 caudal well forked, the upper lobe the longer. Pyloric coeca 6. Color in 

 life, light blue above, shading gradually into silvery below; preorbital 

 and snout of a clear sky-blue; a dash of blue on each side of upper lip; 

 each scale on body with a blue center, the edge with a bronze spot, these 

 forming on back and sides very distinct orange-brown stripes along the 

 rows of scales, those above the lateral line extending obliquely upward 

 and backward, those below being nearly horizontal; snout with bronze 

 spots ; 1 or 2 cross lines connecting front of orbits ; 2 or 3 oblique lines on 

 preorbital, besides numerous bronze spots larger than those on the body; 

 preorbital also with dusky shades, one of which extends on upper lip; 

 cheeks and opercles with distinct bronze spots, larger than those on 

 body; inside of mouth pale; inside of gill cavity tinged with golden; 

 dorsal translucent, with about 3 bronze longitudinal shades, composed of 

 spots, those of soft dorsal most distinctly spot-like; edge of fin dusky; 

 caudal plain, yellowish at base, dusky toward the tip; anal whitish, its 

 edge dusky, its base shaded with bronze; pectorals and ventrals yellow- 

 ish, the latter darker at tip. Fresh specimens show no trace of vertical 

 bands. In examples preserved in alcohol the yellowish and blue mark- 

 ings gradually disappear and dark cross shades become apparent. A 

 specimen 5 years in alcohol shows the following coloration : Silver-gray, 

 with faint streaks along the rows of scales; a distinct narrow dusky band 

 from front of spinous dorsal through base of pectorals; behind this 7 or 8 

 cloudy, obscure bands, alternately broad and narrow; a horizontal dusky 

 shade behind .eye; spinous dorsal with a faint medium pale shade; soft 

 dorsal with 3 rows of faint spots ; other fins nearly plain. Length 12 to 15 

 inches. South Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States; a common 

 and valued food-fish, abundant along the sandy shores of the eastern 



