1464 Bulletin ^7, United States National Museum. 



Teeth in rather broad bands, the anterior in upper jaw little enlarged. 

 Snout with the usual lobes and pores at tip, its length 3& in head; chin 

 with 5 large pores ; about 4 small barbels on the inner edge of each dentary 

 bone anteriorly, these rather shorter than the posterior nostril, which is 

 oblong and much longer than the anterior nostril. Preopercle with 

 numerous rather strong teeth above the angle, which has 2 large, strongly 

 divergent teeth, the lower directed obliquely downward. Gill rakers 

 short, 7-f-12. Pseudobranchue well developed. Scales of moderate size, 

 those on the breast little reduced; no scales on the dorsal or anal, except 

 a basal series ; caudal largely scaly; about 20 scales in an oblique series 

 from front of anal upward to spinous dorsal, 18 from vent upward to soft 

 dorsal. Lateral line becoming straight well in advance of anal. Spinous 

 dorsal high, higher than in M. undulaius, its third spine not very much 

 shorter than the fourth; third spine varying in length, about 2 in head 

 (If to 2^); all the spines freely flexible; longest soft ray 3J in head; 

 caudal slightly double concaA r e, the upper, middle, and lower rays about 

 equal, If in head; lower rays shorter in young individuals; anal small, 

 ending well in advance of posterior ray of dorsal ; second anal spine rather 

 small, its length 3| in head ; longest soft ray 2^ in head. Pectoral fin very 

 long and pointed, reaching past ventrals, but not to vent, its length 1 in 

 head; ventrals with the first ray filamentous, If* in head without filament. 

 Color grayish silvery, without brassy tinge ; dorsal region and sides above 

 lower edge of pectorals marked with dark streaks extending obliquely 

 upward and backward along the series of scales. Besides these, about 10 

 short, oblique, dark bars extending downward and forward, crossing the 

 arched portion of the lateral line, the longest of these about as long as 

 snout; lining of gill cavity blackish; peritoneum pale; fins all yellowish, 

 the tips of spinous dorsal blackish; upper edge of pectoral and border of 

 soft dorsal dusky; region above and below base of pectoral with dark 

 punctulations. Length 2 feet or less. Pacific coast of Mexico ; abundant 

 at Mazatlan, where it is an important food-fish; not seen at Panama. 

 (EKTSVIIS, stretched.) 



Micropogon ectenes, JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mua. 1881, 355, Mazatlan (Types, 

 Nos. 28295, 29538, 28336, 28361. Coll. Gilbert) ; JORDAN & EIGENMANN. I. c., 419, 1889. 



1847. MICROPOGON ALT1PINMS, Giinther. 



Head3i; depth 3J. D. X-I, 20 to 22; A. II, 7; scales 7-48-15. Outer 

 teeth of upper jaw scarcely enlarged; snout somewhat projecting; scales 

 still larger; lateral line 42 (49 pores) ; scales above the lateral line, verti- 

 cally, 5 or 6; obliquely, 8; 12 in an oblique series from vent; maxillary 

 extending scarcely beyond the vertical from the anterior margin of the 

 eye; body less elongate than in Micropogon ectenes; highest dorsal spines 

 1 in head ; anal spine about 4 in head. Coloration essentially as in Micro- 

 pogon ecteneSj which it closely resembles, differing in the shorter second 

 dorsal. Panama; not rare, (altus, high; pinna, fin.) 



Micropogon altipinnis, GUNTHER, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond.^1864, 149, San Jose, Panama, 

 Chiapas; GUNTHER, Fish. Central America, 387 and 425, 1869; JORDAN & GILBERT, 

 Bull.TJ. S.Fish Comm. 1882, 111; JORDAN & EIGENMANN, I. c., 419, 1889. 



