1466 Bulletin 4.7, United States National Museum. 



1848. UMBRINA BROUSSONETII, Cuvier & Valenciennes. 



This species is described as follows : " We find in the collections of Brous- 

 sonet an Umbrina announced at once (which is little probable), as from 

 the South Sea and from Jamaica. Its height is 4 times in its length; its 

 barbel is short and pointed ; all its teeth are in fine velvet ; the lobes be- 

 fore its upper jaw are little marked, the preopercular denticulations are 

 pronounced; though much altered, we do not see that it has spots, and it 

 certainly seems a distinct species. Its dorsal spines are slender; the sec- 

 ond anal is rather strong. Its ventrals are longer than the pectorals. 

 There is reason to believe that the caudal was truncate. Its numbers ap- 

 proach those of the 2 proceeding species. D. X-I, 25; A. II, 6." (Cuvier 

 & Valenciennes; translation.) A doubtful species. If it really came from 

 Jamaica, it may be the same as Umbrina cor aides, but the fin rays are said 

 to be fewer. Cuvier & Valenciennes counted 29 in coroides. The name 

 broiissonetii has priority over coroides if the 2 are the same. (Named for 

 P. M. Auguste Broussoiiet, doctor of medicine at Montpelier in the last cen- 

 tury ; an accurate and conscientious naturalist.) 



Umbrina broussonetii, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 187, 1830. (Type, a 

 specimen in Broussonet's collection supposed to be from Jamaica.) 



1849. UMBRINA COROIDES,* Cuvier & Valenciennes. 



HeadSf; depth 3; eye 3| in head. D. X-I, 27 or 28; A. II, 6 or 7; scales 

 5-48-10. Body rather stout, the back somewhat elevated; mouth moder- 

 ate, maxillary extending to middle of pupil; teeth villiform, subequal, 

 in broad bands ; preopercle finely denticulate on its bony edge ; barbel 

 short; second dorsal spine highest, If in head; pectoral fins short and 

 small, If in head, not reaching to tips of ventrals nor halfway to vent; 

 caudal truncate; second anal spine thick, 2^ m head; gill rakers 5 -\-9, 

 slender and small. Color silvery, darker above; body with about 9 dark 



tedi est mal employe par les auteurs modernes, et M. Gill citte meme le Scicena aquila 

 comme le type du genre." (Bleeker, I. c.) 



In quoting Umbrina cirrosa as the type of Artedi's genus Scicena, Bleeker means merely 

 that it is the one placed first by Artedi in the list of species. 



* Jordan & Hotter give the following description of specimens of Umbrina coroides in 

 their Fishes of Jamaica: Head 3^; depth 3A; eye 4 in head. D. X-I, 27; A. II, 6; scales 

 6-50-9. Highest point of dorsal outline at anterior third of spinous dorsal, the anterior 

 outline more strongly curved. Mouth inferior, horizontal or nearly so; teeth equal, in 

 bands; barbel short, blunt; width of preorbital equal to length of eye; nostrils close 

 together, the posterior oblong, more than twice as large as anterior, situated immediately 

 in front of eye; preopercle finely and evenly serrate above angle: opercle with 2 dull 

 points, not extending to edge of marginal membrane, thelower somewhat more acute, both 

 evenly projecting; the lobes and pores in front of the mouth well developed. Pectorals 

 as long as ventrals, 1| in head, inserted under opercular membrane; ventrals inserted 

 behind pectorals, the outer ray with a very fine filament. Third dorsal spine longest, 2 

 in head; caudal slightly emarginate, the lower angle slightly rounded, upper and longest 

 rays If in head, or equal to head in front of opercle. Ground color steel gray, somewhat, 

 silvery (slightly golden in one specimen) ; 9 dusky bars on side, the anterior and posterior 

 less distinct, 2 in front of dorsal, 2 under spinous dorsal, the fifth in front of second dorsal, 

 the last at end of dorsal; each row of scales above belly with a dark line, these oblique 

 above lateral line, irregular below; tip of spinous dorsal black, edge of soft dorsal dusky, 

 ventral and tip of caudal faintly dusky, underside of opercle black. This description is 

 based on 8 perfect specimens 10 inches loug. They are not so deep as the figure given by 

 Cuvier (117), the caudal is shorter, and there are 2 fewer rays in the dorsal. It seems best 

 not to use the name Umbrina broussonetii for this species, as the short account given by 

 Cavier & Yalenciennes does notagree with the species, and Broussonet's specimens may 

 not have come from Jamaica. 



