1540 Bulletin ^7, United States National Museum. 



on cheek. Brownish; each scale with a dark-brown spot at base, the 

 spots forming longitudinal series; margins of preoperculum with several 

 similar spots; a pair of dark-brown spots in axil of pectoral, one superi- 

 orly, the other inferiorly ; dorsal fin with obsolete brown spots, the other 

 fins immaculate: 4 well-marked dark-brown lengthwise streaks on head, 

 the first from posterior margin of eye to angle of opercle, the second on 

 lower edge of eye, the third above angle of mouth, the fourth a little 

 below it; the last 3 extending over the opercles; dorsal, anal, and caudal 

 with large dark spots. Length 6 inches. Rivers of Cuba; locally com- 

 mon; a food fish of some importance. Here described from a specimen 

 from Rio Almendares, Cuba, 4| inches in length, (rsrpa, four; anarQa, 

 spine. ) 



Centrarchus tetracanthus, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vn, 460, 131, 



Cuba. 

 Chromis fusco-maculatus, GUICHENOT, Ramon de la Sagra, Hist. He Cuba, Poiss., 78, pi. 2, 



fig. 3, 1850, Havana. 



Acara fusco-maculata, GUNTHER, Cat. Fishes, iv, 282, 1862. 

 Acara tetracanthus, STEINDACHNER, Cliromiden Mejicos, 4, 1864. 



617. THERAPS, Giinther. 

 Theraps, GUNTHER, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus., iv, 284, 1862 (irregularis). 



Body compressed, oblong, covered with moderate ctenoid scales, those 

 of the lateral line not enlarged; teeth conical, in a band; mouth small, 

 the lower jaw included; scales on cheeks small; gill rakers short, horny; 

 dorsal and anal not scaly; anal spines normally 5, sometimes 4. Central 

 America. 



(Qepacp, slave, probably from some resemblance to Therapon therapa, an 

 East Indian fish allied to Pomadasis.) 



1949. THERAPS IRREGULARIS, Giinther. 



Head 3^; depth 3*. D. XVI, 13; A. V, 9; scales 4-35-14. Head 

 longer than high ; snout compressed and prominent, its length f that of 

 head, and nearly twice width of orbit; cleft of mouth rather small, 

 extending backward somewhat behind the vertical from nostril ; upper 

 jaw slightly overlapping lower; teeth in a narrow band, those of the 

 outer series largest ; preorbital somewhat wider than orbit, its width being 

 equal to that of interorbital space, which is rather convex ; eye immedi- 

 ately below upper profile, its center being a little behind middle of length 

 of head. Scales on cheek small, in 6 oblique series. Posterior limb of 

 preoperculum longer than the inferior and descending obliquely forward ; 

 scales on opercles as large as those on neck; those near base of dorsal and 

 on abdomen very small. Scales ctenoid; dorsal tin commencing above 

 root of ventral, and not scaly ; spines of moderate length and strength, 

 length of the fifteenth f- that of head, soft portion not extending to caudal, 

 if laid backward; the distance between dorsal and caudal equals that of 

 the extremity of snout from posterior margin of orbit ; caudal rounded ; 

 pectoral shorter than head; ventral spine only -- as long as fin, and 

 enveloped in skin together with the first soft ray ; fin not extending to 



