SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 



185 



158. UPENEUS MAOULATUS (Blooh). 

 Goat-fish. 



MuUu8 maculatus Bloch, Ichthyologie, pi. 348, 1797; Brazil, 



Upeneus maculatua, Joidsin & 'Evermami, 1896, 858, pi. oxxxii.fig. 362. Linton, 1905,361; Beaufort. 



DiAGNOSis.^Body moderately elongate, depth rather less than .25 length, back strongly 

 curved; length of head slightly less than depth of body, upper profile very steep; mouth hori- 

 zontal; upper jaw not extending as far as orbit; teeth coarse; those in upper jaw in a single 

 series or an incomplete double series; teeth in lower jaw in one series; eye large, .25 length of 

 head and .5 length of snout; barbels slender, .75 length of head; gill-rakers on first arch 30, 

 the longest about .5 eye; lateral line high, following arch of back; scales in lateral series about 

 30; dorsal rays vii or viiH-i,8, the longest spine (second) .66 length of head; anal rays ii,6; 

 longest dorsal and anal soft rays a little shorter, pectorals and ventrals a little longer, than 

 longest dorsal spine. Color: bright red above, yellow on sides, greenish below; -3 or 4 dark 

 red blotches on sides, one over opercular spine, one under each dorsal fin, and one behind dorsal; 

 scales on sides with a, small blue spot on base, the spots forming longitudina,l lines; sides of 

 head with blue streaks; first dorsal mostly pale blue, with some red and yellow areas; anal pale 

 red; caudal blue, with some yellow and red on base; pectorals mostly yellow, with red on rays; 

 ventrals pale blue, with red and yellow lines on anterior part; barbels yellow, with pink base; 

 under side of head pink, {maeulatus, spotted.) 



J^^s'rr^ 



Fig. 74. Goat-fish. Upeneus macvlatiLs. 



The red or spotted goat-fish is common in the West Indies, but north of 

 Florida is only a straggler and has rarely been taken. One specimen, 3 inches 

 long, was taken at Bird Shoal in Beaufort Harbor July 19, 1902. The species 

 attains a length of about a foot, and is a food fish of some importance in the 

 tropics. In Porto Rico it is extensively eaten and highly esteemed. 



Family SCOMBRID^. The Mackerels. 



The mackerels are fishes of the high seas, with compact, fusiform bodies 

 adapted for rapid movement. They swim more or less in schools, some of which 

 are of immense size. Most of the species are of wide distribution. The family 

 includes species that are among the most important food fishes of the new and old 

 worlds. The family characters are a rather elongate body, cylindrical or 

 slightly compressed; a conic head; large mouth with large or small sharp teeth in 



