Contributions to the Fauna of the Bahamas 



53 



Barbour ' has recently described a new species, II. puncticulatus, from Ber- 

 mudas, which would seem to be distinguished from Cope's H. siccifer by having 8 

 soft rays in the anal in stead of 9 and in colour. From what has been shown 

 above these characters are due to variation and are not sufficient to distinguish a 

 new species. To judge from Barbour's short description and from his figure of 

 H. pimctic'idatus I am quite convinced that his new species, which is based on a 

 single specimen, must be referred to H. coruscus Poeï. 



Holocentrus siccifer, Cope. 



New Providence (Cope). As to the distinctness of this species see what is 

 stated about H. coruscus Poey. 



Holocentrus osculus, Poey. 



One specimen at Mastic Point on Andros, in a dead shell. Not before recorded 

 from the Bahamas (known only from Cuba). 



Colour in living specimen : red, with very indistinct yellowish brown long- 

 itudinal bands, more distinct near dorsal fin. Spinous dorsal yellowish brown along 

 the rays Length 12 cm. from tip of snout to tip of candal. 



Plectrypops retrospinis (Guichenot). Fig. 2. 



This species, said to be rare in Cuba, is rather imperfectly known. I found 

 a defective dead specimen, thrown on the beach at Mastic Point on Andros, which 

 seems, to judge from the short description given, to belong to this species. I am 

 describing it below. 



D. XII, 14; A IV, 11; P I, 7. First anal spine very small, third large, 

 broader, but hardly longer than fourth, when depressed. Upper part of head with 

 two pairs of longitudinal rows of small spines. Snout with numerous small spines. 

 Orbit surrounded, except anteriorly, by small spines. Suborbital with two lamina: 

 the superior, corresponding to that in Holocentrus with small spines; the inferior, 

 which is absent in Holocentrus, is very broad behind, narrow anteriorly. The anterior 

 part of this inferior lamina has anteriorly about five spines, followed behind by a 

 row of small spines. Behind these are two to four (in my specimen 2 on one side, 

 4 on the other) large spines, curved forward. These are followed on the posterior 

 part of the suborbital by large straight spines. Prseoperculura with two limbs, both 

 with spines, those on the posterior larger. The angle is rounded with a spine a 

 little larger than the other, but not at all comparatively so large as in Holocentrus. 

 Operculum, interoperculum and suboperculum armed with spines, operculum with 

 two larger equal ones. Maxillary reaching far behind posterior border of orbit, with 

 suplemental bone. Scales strongly serrated, except those on the anterior part below 

 lateral line. Scales 4 — 35 — 9. Colour : red (when found). 



' Notes on ßerniudian Fishes. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zoo!. Harvard Coll. Vol. 46 (1905). 



