Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1439 



oblique. * Panama, apparently rare ; quite variable, especially in the arma- 

 ture of its preopercle. (xpvdo$, gold; XEVKO$, white.) 



Corvina chrysoleuca, GUNTHER, fish. Central America, 387 and 427, pi. 67, fig. 1, 1869, 



Panama. 



Scicena chrysoieuca, JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. TJ. S. Fish Comm. 1881, 316. 

 Ilairdiella chrysoieuca, JORDAN &. EIGENMANN, I. c., 389, 1889. 



581. STELLIFER (Cuvier) Oken. 



Les Stelliferes, CUVIER, Regne Animal, Ed. I, 283, 1817 (stellifer). 

 Stellifer (CuviER) OKEN, Isis, 1182, 1817 (stellifer). 

 Stettiferus, STARK, Elements Nat. Hist., i, 459, 1828 (stellifer) . 

 Homoprion,\ HOLBROOK, Ichth. S. Carol., 1st ed., 168, 1856 (lanceolata) . 

 Zestis, GILBERT, new subgeuus (oscitans). 

 Zestidium, GILBERT, new subgenus (illecebrosus) . 

 Stellicarens, GILBERT, new subgenns (zestocarus) . 



This genus is composed of small species, all American, allied to Bairdi- 

 ella and Ophio8cion, but distinguished by the remarkably spongy and 

 cavernous construction of the bones of the skull. The septa are reduced 

 to the thinness of the walls of honeycomb. The skull is also very broad 

 and much depressed between the eyes. The species vary considerably 

 among themselves in these and other respects, and may be thrown into 

 4 subgenera, distinguished by the armature of the preopercle. (stella, 

 star ; fero, I bear, from the radiated appearance of the spongy suborbi- 

 tals; " L'dtoile que ce poisson porte a l'(&il, m'a engagd a le denommer" 

 (Bloch). 



ZESTIS (eor6s, soft-boiled) : 



I. Preopercle with two strong spines only, the uppermost directed backward, the lower 



downward. 



a. Jaws subequal, the mouth very oblique, large; teeth of lower jaw unequal, the inner 

 series enlarged. OSCITANS, 1821. 



aa. Jaws unequal, the lower short and included; mouth less oblique; teeth of lower 

 jaw in a villiform band, subequal. 



b. Mouth moderate, the maxillary 2J in head; lower spine of preopercle directed 

 downward and forward. FORTHI, 1822. 



II. Preopercle serrate, its spinules 6 to 20. 

 ZESTIDIUM (diminutive of Zestis) : 



c. Lowermost spinule of preopercle directed downwards; body robust. 



d. Dorsal rays XIV, 20 or 21; pectorals short, If in head ; gill rakers 5+10; col- 

 oration dark. ILLECEBROSUS, 1823. 

 STELLIFER : 



cc. Lowermost spinule of preopercle not directed downwards; caudal fin pointed. 

 e. Mouth large, oblique, the maxillary 2 to 2 in length of head; snout very 



short, little projecting. 



/. Preopercle with 3 or 4 spines next the angle, divergent, considerably 

 larger than the others. 



