82 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
Lutianus campechanus (Poey) 
Caribbean Red Snapper 
Mesoprion campechanus Poey, Memorias, n, 1860, p. 149. Locality not given. 
Formulae: D. X, 14. A. Ill, 8. Scales 70^. Gill rakers 11. 
Upper profile rounded, very slightly gibbous, line of profile turning gradually 
downward at about origin of dorsal and making a broad, rather convex curve to 
caudal peduncle; lower profile a nearly straight oblique line to about posterior edge 
of preopercle and a nearly horizontal line from there to origin of anal. 
Body rather slender, depth (measured at origin of ventral fins) 2.82 in length; 
least height of caudal peduncle 2.9 in head; head rather short, 3.11 in length (meas- 
ured to end of bony part of opercle) ; margin of preopercle finely but distinctly 
denticulate, the denticles at angle coarser, upper limb with a rather shallow emargina- 
tion, interop ercular knob obsolete; snout rather short, 2.64 in head (measured to 
free margin of eye), 2.03 as long as eye, shorter than maxillary (the snout when 
measured from edge of orbit about 2.81 in head) ; maxillary 2.39 in head, reaching 
a vertical through anterior margin of eye, articulation of mandible on a vertical 
through about middle of eye; eye rather large (measured between the free mar- 
gins of the skin), 5.36 in head, and about as long as one-half the snout; (orbit 
about 4.78 in head). 
Upper jaw with a row of small canines in front, larger anteriorly and gradually 
growing smaller posteriorly; a narrow band of smaller teeth behind the canines, 
interrupted in the middle and extending to angle of mouth; lower jaw with an 
outer row of small subequal canines, the smaller teeth behind the canines reduced 
to a short, elongate patch on either side of the symphysis; teeth on vomer compara- 
tively strong, in a somewhat anchor-shaped patch, rounded in front, tapering to a 
point behind, and with a short, pointed projection on either side, a little back of 
the anterior edge, the part of the patch behind the pointed projections not much 
longer than the part anterior to the same; teeth on tongue comparatively well 
developed, divided by a straight, narrow, transverse, bare streak into two patches, 
the anterior patch broader than long, the posterior patch much longer than the 
anterior, the sides in front nearly parallel for their greater distance, abruptly turned 
behind and meeting in the center in gable-like manner. Gill rakers on lower limb 
of anterior arch well developed, gradually growing smaller anteriorly, 11 in number, 
and 3 tubercles in front, upper limb with 2 rather long gill rakers at the angle and 5 
short, stumpy ones above. 
The exposed portions of the scales on middle of sides on anterior part of body 
not much higher than the exposed portions of the scales situated on the middle 
of the sides over the anal fin ; 69 oblique rows of scales above the lateral line counting 
those running upward and backward, 52 rows counting those running downward 
and backward; below the lateral line the rows running downward and forward 
number 53 and those running downward and backward number 48; 50 scales in 
lateral line; 8 scales between origin of dorsal and lateral line, counting downward 
and forward; 15 between origin of anal and lateral line, counting upward and back- 
ward; an oblique band of smaller scales in region of nape, running upward and 
forward from upper angle of gill opening to upper profile; scales of this band larger 
