318 



New Species of Ciiban Fisk. 



spinous and a soft portion. The spines increase in length from 

 the first to the fifth ; the last being the shortest. The anal has 

 a point formed by the fourth and fifth branched ray. The 

 caudal is crescent-shaped. The pectoral is three-quarters the 

 height of the body, and the ventral two-thirds of the pectoral. 



The lateral line is parallel to the back. I neglected counting 

 its scales, but there are about fifty-five. There are eight rows of 

 scales above and fifteen below the lateral line. The exposed 

 margin is finely ciliated ; the base cut square and with thirty- 

 six parallel flutings, not reaching the centre. Scales of the 

 opéreles rather large ; none on the limb of the preoperele, and 

 the rest of the head naked, excepting two double rows, of which 

 one covers the temples near the great surscapular scale, and the 

 other less distinct behind the eye. 



The general color is pink, with silvery reflections on the mar- 

 gin of the scales. An indistinct blue line above the eye, which 

 has a red iris. A carmine red spot above the axilla. The fins 

 have a palé reddish tinge. The caudal yellowish towards the 

 margin. When young, it probably has a lateral spot, as in 

 others of the same group. 



The skull is narrow, owing to the near approach of the pa- 

 rietal ridges. The occipital ridge is high and truncated behind. 

 The articular apophysae of the prefrontal are long and oblique- 

 Orbit rounded ; its longitudinal diameter three and a half times 

 in the basal length of the skull. 



The flesh is hard to cook ; it swells, twists, and remains hard, 

 though its flavor is not bad ; and this may serve to distinguish it 

 from the two species which I compare with it. 



At the first glance it might be taken for the M. Campechianus, 

 which has also a pink color and large eye ; but which has two 

 rough plates on the tongue, the preopercular angle well den- 

 ticulated, a shorter snout, the orbit more oval, the teeth on the 

 jaws thinner, particularly the anterior ones of the premaxillary ; 

 the band of inside teeth narrower, and almost obsolete on the 

 lower maxillary ; the patch of vomerine teeth prolonged in a 



