THE FISHES OF PORTO RICO. 
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base, but shorter than second; free edge of soft anal straight; dorsal and anal fins depressible in a scaly 
sheath; pectoral long and falcate, nearly reaching tip of ventrals, 1.2 in head; ventral shorter, 1.2 in 
pectoral; caudal well forked, the lobes about equal to ventral. Preopercle strongly but irregularly 
serrate. Scales of cheek in about 7 rows, those on opercle in about 8 rows, on interorbital and nape 
small and crowded; scales of back and sides arranged in oblique rows not parallel with lateral line, 
which is arched, following approximately contour of back. Gillrakers rather short, stiff, 1.3 -|- 19. 
Color, grayish, darkest on anterior half of body, where each scale is dark-brown on its basal half, 
then with a white ellipse, narrow border darker, contrast between dark base and white ellipse very 
marked; owing to the irregular arrangement of scales the dark bases in some cases appear as spots; upper 
side of caudal peduncle brown, sides nearly plain white; snout and under parts of head lilac-brown; 
under parts of body rusty-brown; fins all dark brown, especially the soft parts of dorsal and anal. 
The above description from a specimen 15 inches long, taken in Indian River, Florida. 
The recorded range of this species is from the Indian River, Florida, and the Tortugas to Brazil; 
it is known from Surinam, Martinique, Porto Rico, Jamaica, and Cuba. It attains a length of 2 or 3 feet 
and is a good food-fish, though it is not sufficiently numerous anywhere to be of great importance. 
Only a single specimen, 2.4 inches long, seined at Ponce, was obtained in Porto Rico. 
Lutjanus surinamensis Bloch, Ichth., pi. 253, 1791, Surinam. 
Holocentrus gibbosus Lac6pede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., IV, 344, 1803, Surinam. 
Prislipoma bxlineatum Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., V, 271, 1830, Martinique. 
Pristipoma melanopterum Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., V, 273, 1830, Brazil. 
Hsemulon obtusum Poey, Memorias, II, 182, 1860, Havana. 
Hsemulon labridum Poey, Memorias, II, 419, 1861, Cuba. 
Anisotremus surinamensis, Jordan & Evermann, 1. c., 1318, 1898. 
147. Anisotremus virginicus (Linnteus). “Sisi”; Catalinela; Pork-fish. 
Head 3 to 3.2; depth 2 to 2.25; eye 3.75 to 4; snout 2.75; maxillary 3.25 to 3.5; interorbital 3; 
preorbital 4; scales 13-57 to 60-16; D. xn, 16; A. in, 9; pectoral a little longer than head; ventral 1.5; 
caudal lobe 1.2. Body ovate, back greatly elevated, anterior profile very steep, slightly convex along 
shout and over eye, very much arched on nape; highest point of body at origin of dorsal fin; mouth 
small, little oblique, maxillary extending to anterior edge of orbit; jaws subequal ; outer row of teeth 
enlarged; gillrakers 11 + 11, short and not very stiff. Dorsal spines rather strong, longest (third) about 
1.8 in head; dorsal rays short; second anal spine strongest and longest, about 2 in head; caudal well 
forked, lobes subequal; ventrals just reaching vent; pectoral long, somewhat falcate, reaching origin 
