GILBERT AND ST.VUKS — FISHES OF PANAMA BAY 101 



Spinous dorsil k>\v, with yviUly rjuikIciI oullinc. Notch Ijctwceii dorsals shalluu , tin.- <.di-vciUh 

 s]Miie two-thirds the Iciiijth of the longest, which is contained 2 to 2 J times in head in the young, 

 3 times in aduhs. When declined, the spines are jxirtially received within a scaly groove. Soft dorsal, 

 anal anil caudal with bas;il portions densely scaletl, and with series of scales running up on membrane 

 to beyond middle of fin. Soft dorsal and anal of equal height, fi)rming bluntly rounded lobes, the 

 longest rays of «hich are about half head in adults, U to 1 1 in head in young. Third anal spine 

 about half length of longest ray. Pectorals shorter than ventrals, 2 to 2 1 in head; ventrals il in head 

 in young, shorter in adults. 



Scales less strongly ctenoid than in L. surinamcnsis. Tubes of lateral line mostly simple, 

 occasionally with one to three branches. 



Color grayish or brownish, with plumbeous or silvery reflections. The youngest specimens 

 show faintly the dark streaks so conspicuous in young of L. surinaincusis, viz: a pair running back- 

 wards from interorbital spjice ; a p;iir from upper posterior border of eye converging towards front of 

 dorsal; a broader band from eye downwards and backwards across cheeks. .Soft dorsal, an;d and caudal 

 uniform blackish, or the caudal with an ill-defined lighter edge. Pectorals translucent; ventrals 

 blackish. 



Abiiudant at Panama, where it is known a.s BeniKjate. 



Family PRIACANTHID^. 



182. Pseudopriacanthus serrula {Gilbert). 



Only the type known, from Albatross Station 2797, Panama Bay, 33 fathoms 

 (Gilbert, 1890 b, p. 450). 



Family LUTIANIDJ5. 



183. Hoplopagrus guentheri G>U. 



This species had not been taken previously farther south than Mazatlan. We 

 secured one large specimen with dynamite among the rocky islands in the Bay. It 

 must be very rare at Panama. 



Lutianus. 



The characters relied upon to separate Neomamis, Lutianus, Gemjoroge and 

 Evophtes, seem wholly lacking in distinctive value. The band of temporal scales 

 may be narrow or wide, and may be isolated or may be surrounded by bands of 

 smaller scales. All degrees of scaling of top of head are found among the Asiatic 

 species, and considerable variation among the American members of the group. The 

 temporal ridge never joins the orbital rim, but terminates at varying distances 

 between that and the median crest. Its appro-ximation to the median crest depends 

 in part upon its production anteriorly, and this is in many species a question of age. 

 No groups can be separated by this character, nor can tlie natural affinities of the 

 species be determined by its aid. A third character is derived from the emargina- 

 tion of the preopercle, into which may fit a knob of the interopercle. Most Amer- 

 ican species have this weakly developed or absent, but L. jonlani forms an obvious 

 transition between the two conditions, and this will doubtless be made more complete 

 by an examination of the Asiatic forms. Lutianus (Evoplites) viridis is evidently 

 the descendant of an Asiatic form, and has the notch and knob strongly developed. 



(14) November 28, 1903. 



