170 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
jaw with a narrow band of villiform teeth, outside of which is a series of strong, sharp teeth; 4 canines 
in front, 2 of them very long and strong, their length two-thirds diameter of eye; lower jaw with 5 or 6 
very strong canine-like teeth on each side, largest little smaller than canines of upper jaw; a few villiform 
teeth in front of jaw; tongue with a large oblanceolate patch of teeth, pointed behind, its length about 
twice its greatest width; vomer with a A-shaped patch of teeth, usually without backward prolongation 
on median line, but sometimes with a short median prolongation (/[\ -shaped) , its length always less 
than width of patch in front; pterygoid and hyoid bones without teeth. Gillrakers rather short and 
thick, about one-third length of diameter of eye, about 8 on lower arch ; no rudiments. Preopercle with 
posterior margin nearly vertical, emargination broad and shallow, the edge finely serrate above, teeth 
coarser just above angle, lower limb almost entire. Scales rather large, loosely attached; cheek with 
about 8 rows, 1 row on interopercle, 1 row on subopercle, and about 7 on operc-le; temporal region 
with about 2 rows of large scales; tubes of lateral line simple; base of soft dorsal and anal scaly. Dorsal 
spines rather strong, outline of fin gently convex, fourth spine longest, 3.25 in head; tenth spine, 6 in 
head; anal spines strong, second spine stronger, slightly shorter than third, which is 5 in head; caudal 
little forked; pectoral about 1.4 in head. 
Color, dusky-gray, paler below, belly sometimes tinged with reddish; membranes of dorsal, anal, 
and caudal grayish-black, anal and soft dorsal especially blackish; ventrals blackish at tip; pectoral 
plain olivaceous, base and inner margin dusky; head dusky above, without markings. 
This fish attains a length of 2 to 4 feet; the specimen described (from Cuba) measured 172 inches. 
It is found in the West Indies and south to Brazil, and is rather common. It is a large, coarse fish, 
regarded as unwholesome by fishermen, but probably without sufficient cause. It is recorded by 
Cuvier & Valenciennes and by Poey from Porto Rico; not seen there by us. 
Mesoprion cyanopterus Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., II, 472, 1828, Brazil. 
? Mesoprion pargus Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., II, 473, 1828, Porto Rico. 
Lutjanus dentalus A. DunnJril, in Vaillant & Bocourt, Miss. Sci. au Mex., 125, 1881, Brazil. 
Lutjanus pargus, Poey, Fauna Puerto-Riquena, 320, 1881. 
Neomsenis cyanopterus, Jordan & Evermann, 1. c., 1254, 1898. 
124. Neomsenis griseus (Linnaeus). Gray Snapper; Mangrove Snapper; CabelVerote; “ Par go Prieto.” 
(Plate 17.) 
Head 2.75; depth 2.87 to 3.25; D. x, 14; A. in, 8; scales (6) 7-50-12, 47 pores. Body com- 
paratively elongate, back not strongly compressed, little elevated; profile almost straight from snout 
to nape, thence gently convex. Snout rather pointed, 3 in head. Eye rather small, 4.66 in head. 
Interorbital space gently convex, 6 in head; occipital keel little prominent; preorbital rather broad, 
5.5 to 6.5 in head. Month large; jaws subequal; maxillary reaching front of pupil, 2.6 in head; 
upper jaw with a narrow band of villiform teeth, outside of which is a single series of enlarged teeth; 
4 canines in front of upper jaw, 2 of them quite large — one-third diameter of eye; lower jaw with a 
very narrow band of villiform teeth in front of jaw only; outside of these a single row of teeth larger 
than outer teeth of upper jaw, becoming canine-like in adult; tongue with an oval patch of teeth, its 
width about half its length; vomer with an arrow-shaped patch of teeth, with backward prolongation 
on median line, its length about twice its width in front. Gillrakers rather short and thick, their 
length about one-third diameter of eye, about 8 on lower arch, with no rudimentary ones before them. 
Preopercle with its posterior margin nearly vertical, with rather broad and deep emargination; pre- 
opercle finely serrate above, teeth coarser at angle. Scales comparatively large, rows in horizontal 
series below lateral line, those above running parallel with lateral line until below soft dorsal, where 
they become slightly irregular and oblique; 7 rows of scales on cheek; an embedded row on inter- 
opercle; 1 row on subopercle, and 7 on opercle; temporal region with about 3 rows of large scales; 
top of head, snout, and jaws naked; base of soft dorsal and anal scaly; tubes of lateral line branched. 
Dorsal spines rather strong, the outline of fin gently convex; fourth spine longest, 2.5 in head, tenth 
spine 4 in head; margin of soft dorsal rounded; ninth and tenth rays longest, 1.33 length of first, and 
1.6 last ray, 2.5 in head; caudal emarginate, upper lobe longest, 1.33 length of middle rays, which are 
1.75 in head; anal fin high, its margin slightly angulate, middle rays longest, 2 times length of last rav, 
2.16 in head, first ray reaching almost to tip of last ray, when the fin is depressed; second anal spine 
as long or slightly longer and stronger than third, 3.25 to 4 in head; ventrals 1.75 in head; pectoral 
shortish, scarcely reaching vent, 1.57 in head. 
