THE FISHES OF PORTO RICO. 
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mouth large, maxillary reaching front of orbit, 2.6 in head; upper jaw with a narrow band of villiform 
teeth, outside of which is a single series of larger teeth; 4 canines in front of upper jaw, <ine of them 
on each side very large, almost as long as pupil; lower jaw with a narrow villiform band in front only, 
and an enlarged series outside, these largest on side of jaw, where some of them are somewhat canine- 
like; tongue with a single large oval patch of teeth, its length more than twice its width; teeth on 
vomer forming an arrow-shaped patch with backward prolongation on median line, length of which 
is twice the width of arrow-patch in front. Gillrakers rather short and thick, longest about one-third 
diameter of eye, about 9 on lower part of arch . Preopercle with its posterior margin directed somewhat 
obliquely forward, usually very weakly emarginate, finely serrate above, almost entire at angle. Scales 
large, decidedly larger than in N. jocu; series below lateral line almost horizontal ; those above in rows 
parallel with lateral line, these becoming more or less irregular posteriorly and extending upward and 
backward below soft dorsal; about 7 rows of scales on cheek, 1 row on interopercle, 1 on subopercle, 
and 7 on opercle; temporal region with a few large scales in about 2 rows; base of soft dorsal and anal 
scaly; tubes of lateral line each with 4 or 5 branches. Dorsal spines strong, outline of fin not greatly 
convex, fourth spine longest, 2.66 in head, tenth spine 4 in head; margin of soft dorsal well rounded, 
middle rays longest, twice length of last, 2.75 in head; caudal not deeply forked, upper lobe longer, 
1.5 length of middle rays, which are 2 in head; margin of anal well rounded, its middle rays twice 
length of last, 2.3 in head, first ray reaching about to middle of last when fin is depressed; anal spines 
strong, second longer than third, 3.33 in head; ventrals 2 in head; pectoral reaching to front of anal, 
1.33 in head. 
Color of young in life: Greenish, with about eight very narrow vertical paler bars on body; scales 
of lower part of side with central orange spots, forming faint streaks along rows of scales; belly pearly; 
head greenish; a blackish streak from snout through eye to nape; a narrow, sharply defined blue 
stripe below eye from snout to angle of opercle; no lateral spot; spinous dorsal edged with orange; 
ventrals, anal, and caudal pale orange-yellow; pectoral paler. Adult examples differ from the young 
in the vertical liars being fainter or obsolete, and in the absence, usually, of blue stripe below eye and 
dark stripe on temporal region; soft dorsal, anal, and caudal always yellow, of varying intensity, and 
the edge of spinous dorsal orange, not dusky; the whitish area below eye, very constant in N. jocu, is 
wanting in N. apodus. 
A specimen, 9 inches long, from Arroyo, had the following colors: Upper parts reddish or purplish 
and brownish, with some yellow or brassy tints; lower sides and belly purplish-rosy; cheek pale-rosy; 
top of head dark-rosy; lower jaw white; fins all rich orange or gamboge-yellow, a triangle at tip of 
each dorsal membrane very rich; ventral rays whiter than membranes; side with about 12 faint brassy 
lines running backward and somewhat upward; inside of mouth pale. 
The schoolmaster is one of the most richly colored of the snappers, and is, withal, a very interest- 
ing and attractive fish. It is known from the West Indies, south to Bahia and north to southern 
Florida, sometimes straying northward in the Gulf Stream to Woods Hole; known from Indian River 
and Key West, but not common at either place. It is one of the most abundant of the snappers 
occurring in Porto Rico. Numerous specimens are in the collection from San Juan, Palo Seco, Puerto 
Real, Ensenada del Boqueron, Ponce, Arroyo, Hucares, Vieques, and Culebra. It is evidently one of 
the most valued food-fishes of the island. None seen about Porto Rico would exceed a pound in 
weight. At Key West it is said to reach a weight of 7 or 8 pounds, though the average of those 
caught on the reefs does not exceed 3 pounds, while those caught in the “bay” do not often weigh 
more than one-third of a pound. It is said to take the hook readily and with considerable vigor. 
? Perea marina pinnis branchialibus carens (Schoolmaster), Catesbv, Hist. Carolina, etc., tab. 41, 1743, Bahamas; figure 
very poor, the pectoral fins omitted. 
Caxis, Parra, Descr. Dif. Piezas, Hist. Nat., pi. 8, fig. 2, 1787, Havana. 
! Perea apoda (“Forster, Catal. of Anim., MS., 21,” 1774; printed 1844), Walbaum, Artedi Piscium, 351, 1792, Bahamas; 
based on the schoolmaster of Catesby. 
Spams caxis Bloch & Schneider, Ichthyol., 284, 1801, Havana; after Parra. 
Bodianus striatus Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 335, pi. 65, 1801, West Indies; misprinted albostrialus, p. 237; called 
B. fascialus on plate. 
Lutjanus acutirostris Desmarest, Prem. D6c. Ichthyol., 12, pi. 3, 1823, Cuba. 
Mesoprion cynodon Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., II, 465, 1828, Martinique; Santo Domingo. 
Mesoprion linea Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., II, 468, 1828, Cuba; Santo Domingo. 
Mesoprion flavescens Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., II, 472, 1828, Martinique, 
Neomsenis apodus, Jordan & Evermann, 1. c., 1258, 1898. 
