THE FISHES OF PORTO RICO. 
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smaller than those on posterior part, which are elongate-oval in form. Violet bars extending down- 
ward and forward on upper part of body; sometimes a violet spot with a lighter or darker dot at end 
of bars; head marbled or spotted with dark violet or brown. (Steindachner. ) 
West Indies to Brazil; common southward, ascending rivers; once taken near New Orleans 
(Bean & Bean). Not seen by us in Porto Rico, but recorded from that island by Professor Poey. 
Length 20 inches or more. 
Gobioides broussonnelii LaeCpdde, Hist. Nat. Poiss., II, 580, 1798, probably from Surinam, “ given by Holland to France 
Jordan & Evermann,l. c., 2263, 1898. 
Amblyopus brasiliensis Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 69, 1801, Brazil; on drawing made by Prince Maurice. 
Gobius oblongus Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 548, 1801; based on Lac^pede. 
Gobioides barreto Poey, Memorias, II, 282, 1861, Cuba; Poey, Fauna Puerto-Riquena, 338, 1881. 
Amblyopus mexicanus O’Shaughnessy, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., series IV, vol. XV, 1875, 147, Mexico. 
Family LXV1I. ECHENEIDIILE. The Remoras. 
Body fusiform, elongate, covered with minute, cycloid scales. Mouth wide, with villiform teeth 
on jaws, vomer, palatines, and usually on tongue. Premaxillaries not protractile. Lower jaw pro- 
jecting beyond upper. Spinous dorsal modified into a sucking disk, which is placed on top of head 
and neck and is composed of a double series of transverse, movable, cartilaginous plates, serrated on 
their posterior or free edges. By means of this disk these fishes attach themselves to other fishes or 
to floating objects and are carried for great distances in the sea. Opercles unarmed. Pectoral fins placed 
high; ventral fins present, thoracic and close together, i, 5; dorsal and anal fins long, without spines, 
opposite each other; caudal fin emarginate or rounded. Branchiostegals 7. Gills 4, slit behind fourth; 
gillrakers short; gill-membranes not united, free from isthmus. Pseudobranchise obsolete. Several 
pyloric appendages. No air-bladder. No finlets. No caudal keel. Vertebrae more than 10 + 14. 
This family embraces about 4 genera and 10 species, found in all seas, all having a very wide 
range. The species of this group are apparently descended from a fossil genus, Opisthomyzon. 
a. Body very slender, vertebrae 14 + 16 = 30; ventrals narrowly adnate to abdomen; lower jaw produced in a flap; 
pectoral acute, with flexible rays. 
b. Laminae 10 only Fhtheirichthys 
66. Laminae 20 to 28 Echeneis, 143 
aa. Body rather robust, vertebrae 12 + 15 = 27; ventrals broadly adnate to abdomen; lower jaw not produced; pecto- 
rals rounded. 
c. Laminae 24 to 27 Remilegia 
cc. Laminae 16 to 20. 
d. Pectoral rays soft and flexible - - Remora 
■dd. Pectoral rays stiff and ossified Rhombochirus 
Genus 143. ECHENEIS (Artedi) Linnaeus. 
Body comparatively elongate, vertebrae 14 + 16=30; disk long, of 20 to 28 laminae; pectoral pointed, 
its rays soft and flexible; soft dorsal and anal long, of 30 to 41 rays each; caudal lunate in adult, convex 
in young. 
Species of wide distribution, attaching themselves mainly to sea turtles and large fishes. 
a. Disk of 22 to 26 laminse (rarely 21 or 28), its length less than one-fourth body naucrates, 255 
aa. Disk of 20 or 21 laminae, its length more than one-fourth body naucrateoides 
255. Echeneis naucrates Linnaeus. Shark-suclcer; Pega; Pegador; Sucking-fish. 
Head 5.25; depth 11 to 12; D. xxn to xxvm (rarely xxi), 32 to 41; A. 31 to 38. Breadth between 
pectorals 7.5; disk 4 to 5 in body; eye 5 in head; snout 2.33; maxillary 3; from angle of mouth to tip 
of lower jaw 2.66; pectoral 1.4; ventrals 1.5; middle caudal rays 1.4; highest anal ray 2; highest dorsal 
ray 2.33; width of disk 2.5 in its length; base of dorsal 2.5, anal 2.5, in body. Body elongate, subterete, 
slender; lower jaw strongly projecting, the tip flexible; maxillary reaching nostril; teeth uniform in 
adult, young with series of small slender teeth in advance of others; gillrakers short and slender, 
about equal to pupil; vertical fins low; anal rays higher than dorsal anteriorly; pectoral reaching 
very slightly past tips of ventrals; origin of ventral spine under middle of pectoral base; inner rays of 
ventral fins narrowly adnate to abdomen; dorsal and anal commencing and ending opposite each other; 
caudal with middle rays produced in young, the fin becoming emarginate or lunate with age. 
