558 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL 2IVSEUM. vol.41 



Key to genera. 



a^. Front teeth of jaws conical, Bome of them canine, none of them incisor like; second 

 interhaemal bone normal, not pen-shaped. 

 6'. Lethrinin^. Cheeks naked; top of head naked; upper teeth of jaws laterally 

 in a single series, conical or molar. Dorsal spines 10, body compressed. 



Lethrinus, 11. 

 6*. Sparine. Cheeks scaly. 

 c*. Lateral teeth of jaws conical; no molar teeth, 

 c?'. Cheeks with three rows of large scales; body rather elongate; top of head scaly. 

 Canines moderate, in upper jaw only; none of the dorsal spines filamentous; 



the spines not exserted beyond the membranes Euthyopteroma, 12. 



cP. Cheeks with more than three rows of scales; body rather deeper. 



e'. Top of head naked; canines moderate; in both jaws; dorsal spines 



low, 10 in number Gymnocranius, 13. 



e^. Top of head scaly; limb of preopercle scaly; lateral teeth of jaws in one 



series, conical, not molar, and with a band of small granular teeth; 



canines strong in both jaws; dorsal spines low, 12 in number. Talus, 14. 



(?. Lateral teeth in jaws molar; upper molars in two or more series; top of head 



scaly; scales on cheeks in several rows. 



/'. Vomer with a few conical teeth in front; third and fourth dorsal 

 spines elevated; molars in two series, preopercular limb naked; 

 frontal bone spongy; supraoccipital crest extending well for- 

 ward Evynnis, 15. 



p. Vomer toothless. 



g^. Molars in two series; color crimson or yellowish; preopercular 

 limb usually with some scales; parietal crests of cranium very 

 low; supraoccipital crest not extending far forward; none of 



the dorsal spines elevated Pagrosomus, 16. 



g"^. Molars in three or more series; parietal crests of cranium mod- 

 erate; color olive silvery, preopercular limb naked. .Sparus, 17. 



11. Genus LETHRINUS Cuvier. 

 Lethrinus Cuvier, Rfegne Animal, ed. 2, 1829. 



■Type. — Sparus chcerorTiynchus Bloch and Schneider. 



Body oblong, compressed, covered with rather large scales. Snout 

 moderate (much prolonged in the allied genus LetJirinella) ; jaws with 

 canine teeth in front; a single series laterally of conical or molar teeth. 

 No teeth on vomer. Cheeks naked, top of head naked; preopercle 

 naked. D. X, 9; A. Ill, 8. Dorsal spines low, their membranes 

 somewhat notched. Pyloric caeca two or three; air bladder notched 

 posteriorly, with short lateral appendages. Angle of mouth red 

 within, as in HsBmulon. 



Species numerous, largely of the East Indian seas. Superficially 

 they resemble the species of Lutianus. 



We separate as a new subgenus LetJiriniclitTiys, those species with- 

 out molar teeth, the type being Lethrinus nematacanthus. 



{Xfjdphoc, a name unexplained.) 



