THE FISHES OF PORTO RICO. 
279 
Genus 129. PONTINUS Poey. 
This genus differs from Scorpxna chiefly in having the pectoral rays all simple and only their 
tips free; anal with 5 to 9 rays; suborbital keel composed of 3 or 4 distinct, differentiated spines, 2 
prominent retrorse spines on each preorbital; no pit at occiput; scales ctenoid; cheek and opercles 
usually scaly; pectoral not procurrent. The American species all have D. xn, 10; A. in, 5. Of the 
seven known American species only two were obtained in Porto Rico. 
a. Base of pectoral broad, fin fan-shaped. 
b. Snout naked above, as is interorbital space. 
c. Eleventh dorsal spine nearly as long as twelfth. 
d. Eye small, 4.1 in head beanorum, 2^6 
dd. Eye larger, 3.4 in head macrolepis, 237 
cc. Eleventh dorsal spine half as long as twelfth. 
e. Eye 5.5 in head; maxillary reaching two-thirds across eye; head 4 in total length; spinous dorsal low; pectoral 
pointed; supraorbital tentacle 5 in total length; carmine, without marblings castor 
ee. Eye 4 in head; maxillary reaching anterior third of orbit; spinous dorsal high; pectoral rounded; carmine with 
vertical rosy bands pollux 
bb. Snout fully scaled above; interorbital space with few scales, top of head otherwise entirely scaly rathbuni 
aa. Base of pectoral narrow. 
/. Head without filaments; nape and top of snout scaly; ventrals reaching vent. Pectoral rays 16 longispinis 
Fig. 85 . — Pontinus beanorum. 
236. Pontinus beanorum Evermann & Marsh, new species. 
Head 2.5; depth 3.5; eye 4; snout 4; maxillary 2.4; mandible 2.25; interorbital 9; preorbital 
6.2; D. xn, 10; A. iii, 5; P. 16; scales 7-36-11, about 24 pores. Body short and stout, head heavy, 
its width 1.6 in its length; snout moderately long, broad; profile regularly curved from tip of snout to 
origin of dorsal; occiput scarcely depressed; spines of head much as in P. macrolepis, but smaller; a pair 
of small nasal spines; supraocular ridge with 3 spines, first at anterior end scarcely perceptible, the 2 
others near posterior end, each short and weak; postocular, tympanic, parietal, and nuchal spines present 
but. short; 1 paroccipital and 2 humeral spines present, all small ; 2 stouter, flat, spines on opercle, lower at 
end of a low ridge; 4 preopercular spines, upper largest and with a small accessory spine on its base; 
suborbital stay strong, with 4 spines, first small and indistinct, near anterior end, second under ante- 
rior edge of pupil somewhat stronger, third under posterior edge of eye and last at end of stay, third 
and fourth about equally strong; preorbital with 3 broad, blunt spines; no occipital pit; no pit below 
eye; interorbital narrow, a central groove, between which and each supraocular ridge there is a small 
sharp ridge; premaxillary broad, reaching middle of eye; nape, opercle, and cheek scaled, rest of 
head naked; scales of body moderate in size, firm, ctenoid; breast scaly; head almost without cirri, the 
only ones being a pair of small internasal filaments, a pair of small supraocular ones, and a cluster on 
