THE CATALUFAS 



Family L. Priacanthidce 



BODY oblong or ovate, compressed, covered with small, firm, 

 rough scales, all parts of the body, head, snout, and maxillaries being 

 densely scaled, each scale with a more or less developed plate on its 

 posterior border; mouth large, very oblique, the lower jaw prominent; 

 villiform teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatines, none on tongue; pre- 

 maxillaries protractile; maxillary broad, without supplemental bone, 

 not slipping under the very narrow preorbital, which is usually ser- 

 rate; eye very large; posterior nostril long, slit-like, close to the eye; 

 preopercle more or less serrate, one or more spines at its angle ; oper- 

 cle very short, ending in 2 or 3 points; no barbels; gill-membranes 

 separate, free from the isthmus; pseudobranchise very large, extending 

 along whole length of opercle; postorbital part of head very short, the 

 opercle small; lateral line continuous, not extending on caudal; dorsal 

 fin continuous, the spines depressible in a groove; anal spines strong, 

 the soft part of fin long, similar to soft dorsal; caudal truncate or lu- 

 nate ; air-bladder large. 



Carnivorous fishes of tropical seas, chiefly in deep water; mostly 

 rose-coloured in life. The family contains 2 genera (Priacanthus and 

 Pseudopriacanthus) and about 10 species, only i or 2 of which are of 

 any food-value. 



Priacanthus arenatus, the catalufa or toro, is a beautiful fish found 

 in the West Indies south to Brazil, and occasionally north in the Gulf 

 Stream to Woods Hole. It has also been reported from Madeira. On 

 our Southern coast it has been recorded only from Key West. It is not 

 uncommon about Porto Rico, where it is known as toro or comico. 

 Its usual length is a foot to 15 inches, and it is used as food, its flesh 

 being firm and flaky and of good flavour. We know nothing of it as 

 a game-fish. The brilliant red colour and large eye make it a very 

 striking fish. 



Head 2| to 3^; depth 2$; eye 2f ; snout 3; maxillary 2; mandi- 

 ble if; interorbital 4$; D. X, 14, rarely 13; A. Ill, 15, rarely 16; pec- 

 toral, i^; ventral i^; caudal i|; scales about 94. 



401 



