176 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Color in life: Bright rose-color, paler below, some narrow, undulating, light-golden streaks following 
rows of scales above lateral line; iris always bright-yellow (an important color-mark) ; mouth reddish 
within; traces of dark lateral spot in most specimens; dorsal rosy, its base pale, its edge yellow; caudal 
rosy, dusky behind, sometimes blood-red at tip; pectoral very pale yellow, ventralsand anal pale rosy, 
latter yellowish behind. The bright colors all fade and disappear in spirits. The scales of upper parts, 
in spirits, are marked with dark dots, which form streaks along rows of scales. 
The above description verified on a specimen 14 inches long from Mayaguez. 
West Indies; known from Cuba, St. Kitts, Martinique, and Porto Rico. A handsome species, 
rather common in the Havana markets, where it is known as pargo de lo alto. When fresh it may 
always be known by the bright-yellow color of the eye, a color which does not entirely fade in spirits. 
The silk snapper was not common in the Porto Rican markets during our stay about the island, but 
Mr. Oscar Riddle says that it is quite common in the San Juan market at certain times. It is taken in 
the line fishery and is one of the most valued species. It is usually fished for in about 60 fathoms 
of water, and about a mile off Morro Castle. Five or 6 hooks are fastened with short snoods to a very 
tough, strong stick of native wood about 2 feet long, and this is weighted with heavy leads. In the 
center is fastened the strong hand-line with which it is lowered and raised. The hooks are usually 
baited with pieces of sardina ( Opisthonema ogjinum) or muniama ( Xystxma cinereum). While the fish 
are being raised to the surface they are very often attacked by sharks. Our collection contains two 
specimens, 9.5 and 14 inches long, obtained in the market at Mayaguez. 
Mesoprion vivanus Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., II, 451, 1828, Martinique. 
Mcsoprinn profundus Poey, Memorias, II, 150, 1860, Cuba. 
Lutianus torridus Cope, Trans. Am. Philos. Soc. 1S69, 468, St. Kitts. 
Luljanus profundus Poey, Fauna Puerto-Riquena, 320, 1881; Stahl, 1. e., 76 and 162, 1883. 
Neomxnis vivanus, Jordan ct Evermann,l. c., 1262, 1898. 
129. Neomaenis analis (Cuvier & Valenciennes) . Mullon-fisli; Par go Cfio/io; Fargo; “Soma.” 
(Plate 21.) 
Head 2.7; depth 2.9; eye 5.67; snout 2.25; maxillary 2.8; mandible 2.3; interorbital 4.43; preor- 
bital 3. 5; D. x, 14; A. nr, 8; scales 10-70-18, about 51 pores. Body rather deep and compressed, back 
strongly elevated, profile steep and nearly straight from snout to nape; snout long and pointed; eye 
rather small; interorbital space gently convex; occipital keel moderate; preorbital very broad; mouth 
moderate, maxillary scarcely reaching front of orbit; upper jaw with a narrow band of villiform teeth, 
outside of which is a single series of larger but small teeth; 6 rather strong canines in front, 4 of them 
larger, about equaling in length half of diameter of pupil; lower jaw with a narrow villiform band in 
front only and a series of larger teeth outside; these unequal, largest on side of jaw, some of them 
almost canine-like; tongue with a single very small patch of teeth on its middle, this wanting in young 
examples; teeth on vomer forming a broadly A-shaped patch, without backward prolongation on median 
line. Gillrakers moderate, half length of diameter of eye, about 8 on lower arch, with no rudiments 
before them. Preopercle with its posterior margin almost straight, slanting gently downward and 
forward, notch broad and very shallow; edge of preopercle rather coarsely serrate, most so at angle; 
scales small, rows almost horizontal below lateral line, running backward and upward above; tubes of 
lateral lines branched; about 7 rows of scales on cheek; 1 row on interopercle, 1 on subopercle, and 
about 9 on operele; temporal region with about 8 rows of scales, which become smaller posteriorly; 
bases of soft dorsal and anal scaly. Dorsal spines weak and slender, outline of fin not greatly curved, 
fourth spine longest, 2.66 in head, tenth spine 3.33 in head; margin of soft dorsal angulate, ninth ray 
longest, twice last and 1.5 times first ray, 2 in head; caudal well forked, upper lobe the longer, 1.6 
length of middle rays, which are about 2.16 in head; anal angular, similar to soft dorsal, middle rays 
more elevated than in any other species, longest 2.25 length of last, 2 in head; first ray nearly reaching 
tip of last when fin is depressed; second and third anal spines rather strong, of equal length, 3.75 in 
head; ventrals 1.6 in head; pectoral reaching slightly past origin of anal, 1.3 in head. 
Color in life: Dark olive-green above; many of the scales with pale-blue spots, these forming 
irregular oblique streaks upward and backward; similar stripes more regular and numerous on caudal 
peduncle and above anal. In old fishes these blue spots and streaks disappear; belly white, strongly 
tinted with brick-red ; about 6 narrow, dusky, vertical bars, a little broader than interspaces and not well 
defined, between gill-opening and anal; head bronze-olive, darker above; a broad, undulating pearly 
