1298 



ZOOI.OGFCAL SOCIKTY BlIJ-KTIX 



HAKIiOR rOKl'OISli rHOCAESA COMMr 

 IMiiitoirriiptlod .-it tlie Ai|iiarimn. lull. 



A NEW SPECIKS OF FISH FROM 



FLORIDA. 



Bi/ I.. L. Mowbray. 



WFIILE engaged in collecting fishes at 

 Key West for the New York Aquarium. 

 I obtained, on August 8. three s))eci- 

 mens of a species hitherto undescribed. 



It belongs to the family Haemulidae or 

 grunters. 



I saw this Haemuloii three years ago on the 

 reefs near Key West, and was unable to tra)) 

 it until this year. The specimens taken were 

 adults from ten to twelve inches in length, and 

 have been on exiiibition at the New York Aqua- 

 rium. Two of them are still living. 



This grunt has a greater range of color 

 changes tiian any other that I am acquainted 

 with but its golden pectorals and the stripe of 

 gold along the ridge of the back, which glistens 

 in the sun, make it easy to distinguish. It is a 

 very shy fish and darts from 

 crevice to crevice. 



It mav be described as 

 follows: ■ 



Ihirmulun rri/sopti'ium, 

 new s))ecies. 



Head, 2^;j; depth, 2^;;, 

 D. XII, 1.5: A, III. 8: 

 scales, 9-.56-1.5; gill rakers, 

 10 X It; eye. I'.s: maxil- 

 l.ary, 2 ; second anal s))inc. 

 3'i; Interorbital. S^-j in 

 head ; snout long, about 2 

 in head : f o u r t li dorsal 

 spine the longest. I-;; in 

 ))ect()ral : 2'-j in head; sec- 

 ond .and third anal s))ines 

 strong, about equal in 

 length ; ti)) of ]) e c t o r a 1 



reaching vertical of de- 

 ))ressed ventrals; ))reoper- 

 •.•le moderately serrate : 

 ni.ixill.iry w i t li a gentle 

 curve. IJody deep; ante- 

 rior profile straight to ver- 

 ticil through orbit, gently 

 convex to dorsal ; ventral 

 outline straight or nearly 

 so; mouth large: red with- 

 in : teeth strong for tlu' 

 genus. 



Color in life silvery gray : 

 as C.F.T. photo interorbital to snout brown- 

 ish ; greater })ortion of pre- 

 orbital. the whole of ))reop- 

 crcle and opercle silvery 

 gray. .\ median line of brown from interorbital 

 to first dorsal sjjine. Sides with four clearly de- 

 fined lines of brown, two above tlie lateral line, 

 one on and (me below ; the one below running 

 straight from center of eye to base of caudal ; 

 A broken wavy line, somewhat oblique, between 

 this and the line above. Ventral surface freckled 

 with brown, but subject to great change. Inter- 

 spaces between base of dorsal and first and sec- 

 ond lines on sides, upper edge of caudal pe- 

 duncle and pectorals bright golden : Outer 

 margin of dorsal rays, inner rays of anal and 

 caudal, golden: The bases of all the fins dark: 

 \entrals very dark, their anterior edge white. 

 Eyes bluish: a dark blotch at angle of preojier- 

 cle. Rare. Taken at Key West, I'lorida, August 

 8, ini.J. Tyiie No. i,782. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist.. 

 New York. 



New York .\quarium, October 21, lOl.i. 



A NKW SPKCIKS OK GRLNT 



l„rn,i,l,ni rri,H„i,trn,i„. sp. n..v 



1.. I.. M. photo 



