The Sea-bass 



/. Frontal bone of skull with a transverse ridge on posterior part. 



Petrometopon, 380 

 ii. Frontal bone of skull without transverse ridge. 



/. Dorsal spines 9 Centropholis. 



jj. Dorsal spines 1 1, rarely 10 but never 9. 



k. Parietal crests not produced forward on the frontals. 



/. Scales of lateral line normal, marked by radiating ridges. 



///. Cranium narrow above the interorbital space and deeply concave; 



occipital crest meeting interorbital region .... Epinepbelns, 381 

 //////. Cranium very broad and flat above, the interorbital little concave, 



the occipital crest disappearing before reaching the interorbital 



region Garnipa, 386 



//. Scales of lateral line each with 4 to 6 strong, radiating ridges. 



Promicrops, 387 



hk. Parietal crests produced forward on the frontals. 

 //. Frontals with a process or knob on each side behind the interorbital 



area; anal rays 111, 8, rarely III, 9. 

 o. Preopercle with a single antrorse hook or spine near the angle. 



Alphestes, 388 



oo. Preopercle without antrorse spine Dennatolepis, 389 



////. Frontals without processes on the upper surface; anal rays III, 11 



or 12, very rarely III, 9 or 10 Mycteroperca. 



cc. Maxillary without supplemental bone. 



p. Gill-rakers comparatively short and wide apart; lateral line not 



running close to the back (except in Serranus). 



q. Ventral fins inserted below or more or less behind axil of pectoral. 

 r. Dorsal fin with 4 or 5 spines produced in long filaments. 



Cratinus, 395 

 n: Dorsal without long filamentous spines, not more than one of the 



spines especially produced. 

 s. Body short and deep, the back elevated, the depth more than | the 



length ; preopercle with a few antrorse serrse on its lower limb. 



Hypoplectrus, 395 

 ss. Body comparatively elongate, the depth ^ to J the length; no 



hooked spinules on lower limb of opercle Paralabrax, 395 



qq. Ventral fins anterior, inserted more or less in advance of axil of 



pectoral. 



/. Smooth area on top of head very short and small, as seen on remov- 

 ing skin; caudal fin not lunate, but rounded or ending in 3 



points Centropristes, 397 



//. Smooth area on top of head very large; caudal fin lunate or 



truncate Diplectrum, 998 



pp. Gill-rakers very long, slender, and close-set; lateral line running 



close to back Parantbias. 



