NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 447 



is one genus (Prionodes, Jenyns) which appears to resemble in almost every 

 respect the Serrani, notwithstanding its total destitution of palatal teeth. 

 I now proceed to give the synonomy and description of the genus Etelis. 



Genus ETELIS Cuv. et Val. 



Etelis Cuv. et Val., Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, tome ii. p. 127, 1828. 

 Elastoma Swainson, Natural History of Fishes, Reptiles, and Amphibians, vol. 



ii., pp. 168, 202, 1839. 

 Hesperanthias Lowe, Fishes of Maderia, 1843. 

 JIacrops Dumeril, Ichthyologie Analytique, p. 279, 1856. 

 Serranus (Anthias) sp. Cuv. et Val., Temm. et Schlegel, Rich., Poey. 

 Centropristes sp. Miill. et Troschel. 

 Anthias sp. Giinther. 



Body moderately compressed, slender, elongated and subfusiform, highest 

 at the ventral fins ; thence regularly attenuated to the caudal peduncle, 

 which is slender and slightly constricted. Back in front of dorsal fin broad 

 and flattened towards the occiput. 



6 



Scales rather large, (circa 50 ) disposed in regular longitudinal rows, 



14 

 parallel with the lateral line. Each scale is about as high as wide, angulated 

 behind, with the nucleus at the terminal third, before which the surface is 

 polished, while there is a marginal muricated band. The radiating grooves 

 are few (7-10), and the concentric striae form very acute angle with the lateral 

 edges, and are almost parallel with them. 



Lateral line parallel with the dorsal outline, the sigmoidal curve being very 

 slight. 



Head compressed, oblong-conoid, flattened between the orbits, and with the 

 snout gradually decurved to the symphisis. Forehead naked. Opercular 

 bones and cheeks and covered with moderate scales. Preoperculum with a 

 rather narrow naked limb, vertical behind, and very finely serrated. Oper- 

 culum behind terminated by two acute spines separated by an oblique emar- 

 gination. Preorbital bones naked, low and oblong or elongated. 



Eyes very large and circular. 



Nostrils on each side, double, approximated, with nearly simple margins. 



Mouth rather large, with the cleft moderately oblique. Intermaxillary 

 bones with short, posterior processes and little protractile. Supramaxillary 

 bones terminating nearly under the centre of the pupil, covered on their ex- 

 posed portions with scales. Dentary low and bent inwards beneath. 



Teeth in a villiform band on each jaw, with a row of much larger distant 

 ones in the upper jaw, and with a canine one each side, in front ; in the lower 

 also, an external rim of rather larger ones, and with a small canine on each 

 side in front, closing before the one' in the upper jaw, and with a larger one 

 farther backwards. Teeth of the vomer and palatine bones in a villiform 

 band ; that of the former angulated at the middle. 



Branchiostegal rays seven. 



Dorsal fin with the spinous portion with ten spines rapidly decreasing from 

 the third, and with the first abbreviated; soft portion oblong, and nearly uni- 

 form in height, much lower than the highest spines, and much higher than 

 the tenth or last one. Dorsal groove very conspicuous. 



Anal fin smaller than the soft portion of the dorsal to which it is symmet- 

 rically opposed, with three moderate graduated spines, and with eight rays, 

 the last of which are slightly prolonged. 



Caudal fin deeply-forked, and with acute lobes, the upper of which is 

 longest ; the outer and basal portions of each lobe are scaly. 



Pectoral fins moderate, acutely prolonged from the upperward rays. 



1862.] 



