330 PISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



continuous, spines 9; anal similar to soft dorsal, with 3 spines; caudal slightly 



rounded; pectorals and ventrals small, the latter attached under base of former. 



One species certainly and another possibly are known from the North Carolina 



coast; these may be thus distinguished: 



i. Depth of body .25 length; a black spot on operele; a dark band extending from snout 

 through eye to base of caudal, with a narrower band below; spinous dorsal plain or with 



small black spot between fifth and seventh spines bivittatus. 



a. Depth of body rather more than .25 length; no black spot on operole; a dark band extending 

 from snout through eye to body, and thence nearly to tip of caudal, without aiiother band 

 below; a prominent black spot on spinous dorsal between fifth and seventh spines. 



maculipinna. 



{Iridio, from iris, the rainbow.) 



284. IRIDIO BIVITTATUS (Blooli). 

 Slippery Dick. 



Lahrus bivittatus Bloch, Ichthyologie, pi. 284, fig. 1, 1792; Martinique. 



Charojulis graTtdiaguamis Gill, Proceedings Academy Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 1863, 206; Beaufort. 



Gill, Catalogue of Fishes of East Coast of North America, 1873, 23; North Carolina. Yarrow, 1877, 



207; Beaufort. 

 Pusa grandiS'juamia, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 374; Beaufort. 

 Platyglosmis bivittatus, Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. 

 Iridio bivittatus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1595. pi. ccxxxix, figa. 600, 601; north to Charleston and Beaufort, 



N. C. 



7;/'7:x?/55?5^55^?^ 



Fig. 148. Slippery Dick. Iridio bivittatus. 



Diagnosis. — Form slender, the depth .25 total length; head small, its length slightly 

 greater than body depth; maxillary extending half-way from end of snout to pupil; snout .3 

 length of head; eye small, .16 to .20 length of head; scales in lateral series 27 or 28, in transverse 

 series 2 + 8 or 9; dorsal rays ix,ll; anal rays iii,ll or 12; caudal fin very slightly convex poste- 

 riorly; pectorals and ventrals short. Color: pale greenish above, purplish on sides; a dark brown 

 lateral stripe from snout, through eye, to base of caudal fin and a similar fainter band from pec- 

 toral base backward, these two becoming fainter with age and sometimes fading completely; 

 many of the body scales with a dark blue spot; head variously marked with bands or stripes of 

 red, green, blue, and violet; a dark spot on operele; dorsal and anal fins marked, from base 

 outward, with blue, red, yellow, red, and pale; caudal red, with obUque yellow and blue lines; 

 pectoials plain; ventrals red; in young a small jet-black spot on back at base of last dorsal ray. 

 {bivittatiis, two-banded.) 



The range of this abundant species extends from Brazil to North Carolina. 

 Its length is only 6 inches, but it is well known on the shores of Florida and the 

 West Indies, and is caught often by youthful anglers. A specimen 6 inches long 



