The Pigfishes 



Colour, gray silvery; young with 6 very faint cross-bars, one of these 

 below spinous dorsal appearing as a roundish dark spot; lower fins 

 white; a distinct dark blotch on opercle and a fainter one on side 

 below spinous dorsal. 



P. bay anus is known only from Panama, the only known speci- 

 mens having come from the Rio Bayano. Colour, uniform olivaceous 

 above, silvery below; fins plain. 



P. productus is a very rare species known only from Cuba. 

 Colour, nearly plain, silvery below. 



P. macracanthus occurs on the Pacific coast of tropical America 

 from Mazatlan to Panama. It reaches 15 inches in length, and is used 

 as food. When caught it makes a loud snore-like noise very much 

 like that made by a donkey, hence its common name burro. 



P. andrei has been recorded only from the Rio Guayas, near Guay- 

 aquil, Ecuador. It is a doubtful species. 



P. crocro occurs throughout the West Indies from Cuba to Brazil, 

 and is generally common on sandy shores. Colour, plain olivaceous, 

 silvery below, with about 3 or 4 ill-defined longitudinal dark stripes 

 along side, one from tip of snout to middle of base of caudal. 



P. branicki, the burrito, reaching a length of 7 inches, occurs on 

 the Pacific coast of tropical America, from Mazatlan to Peru. It is not 

 uncommon on sandy shores. 



The remaining species, P. ramosus, is found in the West Indies 

 and south to Brazil. In Porto Rico it is known as ronco bianco, and 

 ascends the streams well toward the interior of the island, specimens 

 having been obtained by us in the Rio Loiza near Caguas more than 25 

 miles from the coast. This species is said by the native fishermen to 

 utter the grunting noise characteristic of the family. Though of small 

 size, it is nevertheless a good food-fish, and is highly valued. 



GENUS ORTHOPRISTIS GIRARD 



The Pigfishes 



This genus differs from Pomadasis in the long anal fin, the smaller 

 scales, and the less development of the dorsal spines. Nearly all the 

 species are American, and some of them are of food-value. 



Orthopristis forbesi is known only from Albemarle Island, one of 

 the Galapagos group. Colour in spirits, dark brown above, with 

 bluish reflections, fins dusky except pectorals; caudal edged with 

 light; membrane of opercle dark; preopercle with some dark spots. 

 The known specimens are each about a foot long. 



O. reddingi is known only from La Paz, Gulf of California. Col- 

 our, pearly gray, darker above; each scale of back and side with a 



433 



