120 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Family XXXIII. MULLM. The Surmullets. 
Body elongate, slightly compressed, covered with large scales, which are usually slightly ctenoid; 
lateral line continuous, the pores often branched; large scales on head; upper profile of head more 
or less parabolic. Mouth small, low, subterminal; teeth mostly small, variously placed; no canines, 
incisors, nor molars. Premaxillaries somewhat protractile; maxillaries thin, nearly as broad at base 
as at tip, without supplemental bone, partly hidden by broad preorbital. Preopercle entire or slightly 
serrate; opercle unarmed, or with a single spine. Eye moderate, placed high; branch i ostegail s 4; 
pseudohranchise present; 2 long unbranched barbels at throat, attached just behind symphysis of lower 
jaw. Dorsal fins 2, remote from each other, both short, the first of 6 to 8 rather high spines, which are 
depressible in a groove; anal short, similar to soft dorsal, with 1 or 2 small spines; ventrals thoracic, i, 5. 
Air-bladder usually present, simple. Vertebrae 9 + 14 = 23; stomach siphonal; pyloric caeca about 20. 
Species about 40, referable to 5 closely related genera, found in all tropical seas, some species 
straying northward. Many of the species are highly valued as food, especially the European Mullus 
barbatus and M. surmuletus. The family is a very natural one and not closely related to any other. It 
bears some superficial likeness to the Sdsenidse and Cheilodipteridse, but this may not show real affinity. 
The singular barbels appear also in Polymixiidx, but in that family the ventral rays are numerous, 
as in Berycidx. The small number (4) of the branch iostegals is found both in Mullidse and Polymixiidx. 
n. Teeth on lower jaw, vomer, and palatines; upper jaw toothless; bone which forms a downward hook over maxillary 
strongly developed; interorbital space flat and wide; opercle without spine Mullus 
aa. Teeth on both jaws; vomer and palatines toothless; bone which forms a downward hook over maxillary moder- 
ately developed; interorbital space rather narrow; opercle ending in a single spine . . Upeneus, 49 
Genus 49. UPENEUS Cuvier. The Goat-fishes. 
Body oblong, compressed; mouth moderate, nearly horizontal, low, jaws subequal; eye large 
high, posterior; opercle short, deep, with posterior spine; both jaws with rather strong, unequal teeth, 
in one or two series in each jaw; no teeth on vomer or palatines; lips well developed; bone which 
forms a hook over the maxillary less developed than in Mullus; interorbital space concave and narrow; 
opercle ending in one spine; barbels nearly as long as head; scales very large, somewhat ctenoid; 
lateral line continuous, its tubes ramifying on each scale; head covered with large scales; first dorsal 
with about 7 spines; anal with 2, the first very short; caudal fin forked. 
Species numerous in the tropical seas; two known from Porto Rico. 
a. Teeth in both jaws uniserial (or irregularly biserial above); all teeth coarse and distinct; eye 4 in head; barbels 
1.33 in head. Scales 31; depth 4 in length; side with three black blotches maculatus, 78 
aa. Teeth of both jaws biserial, at least in front. 
b. Dorsals and caudal with dark crossbands parvus , 77 
bb. Dorsals and caudal plain-yellow marUnicus,1& 
76. Upeneus maculatus (Bloch). “ Salmonete” ; Red Goat-fish. 
(Plate 4.) 
Head 3.2; depth 3.7; eye 4 to 5; snout 1.8; maxillary 3.2; mandible 2.4; interorbital 3.7; preorbital 
3.33; D. viii-i, 8; A. ii, 7; pectoral 1.5; ventral 1.4; caudal 1.3; scales 3-30-5. 
Body elongate, little compressed, tapering posteriorly to the long and slender caudal peduncle; 
anterior profile strongly arched, with an elevation in front of eye; snout very long; eye small, high and 
posterior; mouth small, maxillary not nearly reaching eye; teeth strong, uniserial, bluntly pointed, 
some of those in front of upper jaw bent variously sidewise and forward; throat with two long barbels 
reaching to preopercular margin or beyond. Scales large, very finely ctenoid. Dorsal fins 2, well 
separated, the spines slender and flexible; caudal deeply forked, lobes equal or upper very slightly 
the longer. 
Color; In life, everywhere above red, merging into light-yellow on sides, becoming pale-greenish 
below; bluish oblique streaks and bars on head; several longitudinal rows of light-blue round spots, 
much smaller than pupil, on sides, the two rows above lateral line plainest; about four diffuse blotches 
of darker red than the surrounding ground-color on sides, the first just under and partly on anterior 
end of lateral line, second under first dorsal, third under front of second dorsal, fourth just behind 
second dorsal, all on or near lateral line; there may be an additional faint one on peduncle; spinous 
dorsal light-red near base, yellowish outwardly; soft dorsal mostly pale-bluish, especially near edge, 
