FISHES OF SINALOA. 455 



caudal i3^ ; preorbital 3I (4X i" smaller specimens 20 

 inches long; 5 in those of one foot long). 



Body very robust, not much compressed, the back not 

 sharp. Head very large, the mouth very large, reaching 

 middle of eye. Canines very strong, in front of jaw 

 and on sides of lower. Vomerine teeth in a V-shaped 

 patch, not prolonged behind. Gill-rakers 7, very small, 

 the longest less than pupil. Posterior nostril oblong, much 

 longer than anterior. Preopercle slightly notched; 7 or 

 8 rows of scales on cheeks. 



Dorsal deeply notched, rather low. Soft dorsal low 

 and rounded. Anal low and rounded. Pectoral long and 

 pointed. Caudal short, scarcely concave. Anal spines 

 short, graduated. Scales above lateral line not in a paral- 

 lel series. 



Maroon color above, copper red below, becoming sal- 

 mon color before. Fins blackish, tinged with maroon. 

 Pectoral dull yellow olive, blackish at tip; a blackish 

 cross spot on base of pectoral, growing faint with age. 

 Inside of the mouth salmon. Ventral quite dark, the tips 

 black. Iris salmon color; no blue spots or line below eye. 



Young with spinous dorsal edged with black; arial and 

 caudal black; ventrals black tipped. A black crescent 

 on upper part of base of pectoral. 



Young of one foot, black with progressively less red 

 and narrow preorbital. Color largely blackish, tinged 

 with copper on belly and lower parts. 



The young are called Pargo Negro; the half grown, 

 Pargo Prieto; the adult Pargo Mareno, or Maroon Snap- 

 per. 



125. Lutianus argentiventris (Peters). Pargo Amar- 



ILLO. 



Very abundant everywhere about Mazatlan, and prob- 

 ably common all the way from Guaymas to Panama. It 



