THE FISHES OF PORTO RICO. 
115 
This species occurs in the fresh waters of the West Indies and eastern Mexico and is n< >t uncommon. 
It is very abundant in the fresh-water streams of Porto Rico, and is much used as food; many were 
collected at Caguas in the Rio Loiza and Rio Caguitas and in Rio Bayamon at Bayamon, of all stages 
of growth from 1.5 to 11 inches; also common in the large spring at Aguadilla, from which Columbus 
is said to have supplied his ships with fresh water November 17, 1493. 
Mugil monticola Bancroft, in Griffith’s edition of Cuvier’s Animal Kingdom, Fishes, 367, pi. 36, 1836. 
Mugil irretitus Gosse, Nat. Sojourn Jamaica, 84, 1851, Jamaica. 
Agonostomus monticola , Poey, Fauna Puerto-Riquena, 335, 1881; Stahl, 1. c., 164, 1883; Jordan & Evermaim, 1. e.,819, 1896. 
Dajaus ( Agonostomus ) monticola , Stahl, 1. e., 78, 1883. 
Family XXX. SPHYR.KX I ICE. The Barracudas. 
Body elongate, subterete, covered with small cycloid scales; head very long, pointed, pike-like, 
scaly above and on sides; mouth horizontal, large; jaws elongate, the lower considerably projecting; 
upper jaw nonprotractile, its border formed by premaxillaries, behind which are the broad maxillaries; 
large, sharp teeth of unequal size on both jaws and on palatines, none on vomer; usually a very 
strong, sharp canine near tip of lower jaw. Opercular bones without spines or serratures. < lill-openings 
wide, gill-membranes not united, free from isthmus; gillrakers very short or obsolete. Branchiostegals 
7; gills 4, a slit behind the fourth. Pseud obran c liiae well developed. Air-bladder large, bifurcate 
anteriorly; many pyloric caeca. Lateral line well developed, straight. Pectoral (in short, placed in 
or below line of axis of body; ventrals i, 5, abdominal, in advance of middle of body; first dorsal over 
ventrals, of 5 rather stout spines; second dorsal remote from first dorsal, similar to anal and opposite 
to it; caudal fin forked. Vertebrae 24. First superior pharyngeal not present; second, third, and 
fourth separate, with teeth; lower pharyngeals separate. 
A single genus of about 20 species; carnivorous, pike-like fishes, often of large size, active and 
■voracious, inhabiting warm seas, many of them highly valued as food. 
Genus 45. SPHYRIENA (Artedi) Bloch & Schneider. 
Characters of this genus included above. 
a. Scales large, 75 to 85 in lateral line; origin of first dorsal behind root of ventrals, over last third or fourth of pectoral; 
body compressed; lower jaw with fleshy tip; maxillary reaching past front of orbit; teeth large ... barracuda, 70 
aa. Scales moderate, 110 to 130 in lateral line; body subterete or compressed. 
b. Pectoral reaching front of spinous dorsal; maxillary reaching front of orbit; origin of spinous dorsal behind root 
of ventrals guachanclio, 71 
bb. Pectoral not reaching front of first dorsal; maxillary not reaching front of orbit picudilla , 72 
aaa. Scales very small, 150 to 170 in lateral line; origin of spinous dorsal well behind tip of pectoral, before the vertical 
from root of ventrals; lower jaw with fleshy tip. Body slender, subterete 'spkgrxna 
70. Sphyraena barracuda (Walbaum) . “ Picuda.” 
Head 3.3; deptli 7 (2 in head) ; eye 6:6; snout 2.1; maxillary 2.1; mandible 1.6; interorbital 5.1; 
D. v-i, 10; A. i, 8; pectoral 2.7; ventral 3.3; caudal 1.3; scales 12-83-11. 
Body elongate, slightly compressed, head cuboid back of eyes, snout conic; mouth very large, lower 
jaw strongly projecting, with a fleshy tip at symphysis; maxillary reaching past front of eye; teeth on 
jaws, premaxillaries, and palatines unequal, very strong, sharp, and compressed; much smaller teeth on 
edges of premaxillaries; scales of trunk large, cycloid; smaller scales on cheeks and operdes; dorsal 
fins 2, widely separated, origin of first midway between front of eye and origin of soft dorsal; its spines 
slender and flexible; soft dorsal and anal similar; caudal well forked, upper lobe slightly the longer 
Color in spirits: Dark above, pale below, with silvery bluish reflections; dark longitudinal streaks 
along rows of scales above lateral line; young with dark, irregularly shaped blotches on middle of 
