FISHES OF NEW YORK 533 



fish. It reaches a length of 5 or G feet. A single young 

 specimen has been taken in deep waters of the Gulf stream by 

 the U. S. Fish Commission, but there is no oilier record from 



America. 



Genus EPINEPHEL.US Bloch 



Body stout, compressed, covered with small, ctenoid scales, 

 which are often somewhat embedded in the skin; scales of the 

 lateral line triangular, cycloid; soft parts of the vertical fins 

 generally more or less scaly. Cranium narrow above. Parietal 

 crests not produced on frontals which are without transverse 

 ridge posteriorly; frontals with a process or knob on each side 

 behind interorbital area; premaxillary processes fitting into a 

 notch or cavity on the anterior end of the froutals. Preopercle 

 moderately serrate behind, its lower limb entire, without dis- 

 tinct antrorse spine; opercle with two strong spines. Nostrils 

 well separated. Mouth large; maxillary large, with a well- 

 developed supplemental bone, its surface usually with small 

 scales. Canine teeth few, large in the front of the jaws; 

 enlarged teeth of the inner series of each jaw depressible. Gill 

 rakers short and rather few. Dorsal spines usually 11, rarely 

 10, not filamentous, the last ones somewhat shorter than the 

 middle ones. Anal spines three, the second usually the larger; 

 the number of soft rays seven to nine. Caudal fin rounded or 

 lunate. Pyloric caeca few (usually 10-20). Pectorals rounded, 

 shortish, nearly symmetric, of 15 to 20 rays. Ventrals moder- 

 ate, inserted below pectorals, close together, each with a strong 

 spine. Species very numerous, most of them of large size, 

 abounding in all the tropical seas, where they are valuable food 

 fishes. This is the largest and most important genus of the 

 S e r r a n i d a e, and its species are most widely distributed. 



263 Epinephelus niveatus ('Guv. & Val.) 

 Spotted Grouper; 8 wiry Grouper 



.Kerrnn us iiircatus CrviER Jt VALENCIENNES. Hist. Nat. Poiss. II, 380, lSi>S; 



GrNTiiEK, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I. 1:50, 1859. 

 Sen-anus niftrr/ai-itifcr GUNTHER, op. cit. 131, 1839. 

 .Il!/l>nrtJio<Jus -fliiririiiula GII/L. Tree. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 98, 1801, young, 



Newport R. I. 



