Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1693 



2108. TEUTHIS BAH1ANUS (Castelnau). 



(BARBEIRO; OCEAN TANG.) 



Head 3 ; depth 2. D. IX, 24 ; A. Ill, 22. Outline ovate ; anterior profile 

 moderately convex, making angle of 45 with axis of body. Caudal 

 deeply emarginate, its upper lobe much the longer, in adult slender and 

 usually produced into a filament, the inner rays f length of outer rays 

 (in adult). Color dark brown, blotched with paler below, no transverse 

 bars; brown, wavy, longitudinal streaks on sides of body; 8 dark lines 

 running parallel with edge of dorsal fin for its whole length and separated 

 by interspaces of same width; margin of caudal fin bluish with a violet 

 base ; no distinct dark cross bar at base of caudal. Length 1 foot. West 

 Indies and neighboring coasts of tropical America from Key West to 

 Bahia; the adult easily known from related species by the form of the 

 caudal, the young by the fin rays and the markings; our specimens from 

 Key West and Bahia. (Name from Bahia.) 



Acanthurus bahianus, CASTELNAU, Anim. nouv. on Rares de L' Amer. du Sud, 24, pi. 11, fig. 

 1, 1855, Bahia ; JORDAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1890, 323. 



Acanthurus tractus, POEY, Meraorias, n, 208, 1860, Cuba ; POEY, Repertorio, 356, 1867 ; JOR- 

 DAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 941, 1883. 



Acronuru* nigriculus, POEY, Enumeratio, 69, 1875, Cuba ; larval form. 



Acanthurus matoidcs, JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1882, 626; not of CUVIER & 

 VALENCIENNES. 



Teuthis tractus, MEEK & HOFFMAN, I. c., 229, 1884. 



2109. TEUTHIS ALIALA (Lesson). 



(PHILOSOPHE.) 



Head 3f ; depth If to If ; eye 3* ; maxillary 4 J in head. D. IX, 30 ; A. Ill, " 

 26; from eye to corner of mouth 1 in head; gill opening 1 in head; 

 opercle short and obliquely set, 4 in head ; humeral bone striate. Body 

 ovate, strongly compressed, closely covered with small rough scales which 

 become shagreen-like on head ; lateral line present but obscure ; anterior 

 profile strongly convex above and before the eye, thence somewhat concave 

 and nearly vertical to the small projecting mouth. Teeth broad, digitate, 

 each with 4 or 5 claw-like serrae at tip ; lower teeth with the serrsB much 

 smaller, forming notches. Jaws very short, about equal, about 10 incisors 

 in each. Anterior nostril moderate; close to posterior, which is much 

 smaller. Dorsal and anal low, continuous, rounded behind; longest 

 dorsal ray near end of fin, 2 in head; longest anal ray 2 in head; caudal 

 lunate, upper and lower angles produced, but acuminate and short, middle 

 rays 1 in head, the outer 1 in head; caudal spine very strong, 2 in 

 head, attached near its posterior end, the short sharp posterior end free, 

 the long knife-like anterior portion slipping into a groove in the flesh; 

 pectoral long, J longer than head ; ventrals 1 J in head. Color dark pur- 

 plish brown, almost black; a pale-yellowish or flesh-colored crescentio 

 area under eye ; a ring of pearly whitish around mouth, not quite contin- 

 uous above ; a pale streak along dorsal fin, widening behind into a pale- 



