180 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
very gently convex, the first and last rays slightly shorter than rest of fin, median rays 3.33 in head; 
caudal not deeply forked, upper lobe little longer than lower, its length 1.4 in middle rays, which are 
2.12 in head, margin of anal little rounded, the middle rays 1.66 length of last ray, 3 in head, first ray 
reaching almost to tip of last ray when fin is depressed; anal spines small, second as long as third and 
stronger, 4.4 in head; ventrals 2.2 in head; pectoral scarcely reaching front of anal, 1.33 in head. 
Color in life: Deep brown, silvery below, everywhere shaded with red, especially on head; eye 
scarlet; a large blackish blotch on side, chiefly above lateral line and below first rays of soft dorsal; 
maxillary yellow on the covered parts; narrow bronze streaks following rows of scales, these streaks 
distinct, chiefly above the lateral line; dorsal fin pale, edged with blood-red; caudal deeply red; anal, 
ventrals, and pectoral scarlet. Bright colors fade and disappear in spirits, leaving the back dark-gray, 
lower parts silvery, more or less flushed with red. 
An inhabitant of the West Indies; known from Cuba, Jamaica, Martinique, and Porto Rico; not 
known to occur in Florida, but said to be not uncommon in the Havana markets, where it is called 
“ojanco,” in allusion to the large eye. It was seen by us only at Ponce, where a single specimen, 9 
inches long, was obtained. This species does not reach a large size. 
Mesoprion mahogoni Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., II, 447, 1828, Martinique. 
Mesoprion ricardi Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., II, 447, 1828, Martinique. 
Mesoprion ojanco Poey, Memorias, II, 150, pi. 13, fig. 10, 1860, Cuba. 
Lutjanus ojanco, Poey, Fauna Puerto-Riquena, 321, 1881; Stahl, 1. e., 76 and 162, 1883. 
Neomaenis mahogoni , Jordan & Evermann, 1. c., 1272, 1898. 
Genus 78. OCYURUS Gill. Rabirubias. 
This genus is allied to Neomsenis, from which it differs notably in the structure of the skull, espe- 
cially in the forward extension of the fronto-occipital crest to the ethmoidal projection; prefrontals 
with posterior areas short and excavated above and in front. The single species shows numerous 
minor peculiarities, as the peculiar form of body, the large, well-forked caudal fin, and the small head, 
as well as an increased number of gillrakers and the presence (in the adult) of pterygoid teeth. 
133. Ocyurus chrysurus (Bloch). “ Colirubia” ; Rabirubidj Yellow-tail. 
(Plate 23.) 
Head 3; depth 3; D. x, 13; A. in, 9; scales 7-65-15, 51 pores. Body elliptical, comparatively 
elongate, back little elevated; profile straight from tip of snout to nape, thence rather strongly arched; 
caudal peduncle long and slender; snout pointed, of a moderate length, 3 in head; eye small, 5 in 
head; interorbital space very convex, with sharp median keel, 4 in head; preorbital narrow, its least 
width 6.66 in head. Mouth small, oblique, lower jaw projecting; maxillary reaching very slightly 
beyond front of orbit, 2.71 in head; upper jaw with narrow band of villiform teeth, outside of which 
is a single series of larger teeth, 5 or 6 of those in front being somewhat canine-like, but small; lower 
jaw with a single series of moderately strong teeth, none of them large enough to be called canines; 
tongue with a large, oval patch of teeth, in front of which is a smaller but similar patch; teeth on 
vomer forming a broadly arrow-shaped patch, with backward prolongation on median line, which is 
nearly twice width of patch; a narrow band of pterygoid teeth behind patch on vomer, this not 
evident in young examples. Gillrakers rather long and slender, longest about half diameter of eye, 
about 8 + 21, none of them rudimentary. Preopercle with its posterior margin almost vertical, with a 
slight but distinct emargination above angle; serrations of the preopercle very feeble, teeth at angle 
scarcely enlarged; nostrils well separated, posterior slit-like; scales small, those above the lateral line 
arranged in very oblique series, those below in rows nearly horizontal; cheek with 5 or 6 rows of 
scales, about 2 rows on interopercle ; temporal region with 2 or 3 series of large scales, before and 
behind which are many small scales; top of head, snout, and jaws naked; bases of soft dorsal and anal 
scaly. Dorsal spines rather long and slender, fin not deeply emarginate, fifth spine longest, 2.4 in head; 
tenth spine 3.75; soft dorsal and anal similar, their margins nearly straight, last rays slightly shortened, 
median rays about 3 in head; caudal fin long, very deeply forked, upper lobe longest, three times as long 
as middle rays, which are 2.5 in head; pectoral long and slender, reaching vent, 1.12 in head; ventrals 
1.57 in head; anal spines rather weak, the third a third longer than second, 4 in head. 
Color in life: Olivaceous above, rather pale, and somewhat violet- tinged; a number of large, irregu- 
lar, deep yellow blotches on sides of back; a deep yellow stripe from tip of snout straight through eye 
to caudal peduncle, there broadening and including all of tail above lateral line and behind dorsal fin; 
