belonging to the Genus Trisotropis. 303 



These fish are common, and almost all of them become very 

 large ; they are good to eat, though sometimes suspected of being 

 noxious when of large size. They are known in Havana under 

 the names ofBonaci or Aguaji, and also Abadejo ; this last one im- 

 properly applied, for in Spain it is applied to a kind of cod. 

 The ones called Abadejo differ from the others by their lips 

 being green towards the corners of the mouth, by the whitened 

 margin of the pectoral, as also by a projecting spur on the angle 

 of the preopercle. 



The genus Epinephelus of Bloch, as limited by Mr. Gill, ap- 

 proaches Trisotropis, but differs by the form of the skull, the 

 rounded caudal, and the small number of articulated rays in the 

 anal, generally 9, and sometimes 8. I would, however, observe 

 that the Epinephelus morio, Val. {erythrog aster, DeKay), has a cau- 

 dal like Trisotropis. 



The object of this review is not to give a complete description 

 of each species, but to give some of their distinctive characters, 

 and to correct some errors of synonymy. Besides, the species 

 being well known, I will refer to the preceding general charac- 

 ters, and for fuller details to the authors quoted. I here quote 

 my Memorias Sobra la Historia Natural de la Isla de Cuba, tome 

 ii., 1860, and my Repertorio Fisico- Natural de la Isla de Cuba, 

 1867, 1S68, in which my Synopsis Piscium Cubensium forms the 

 last half of the second volume. 



Trisotropis cardinalis. 



Serr -anus 'car -dinalis. Val., in C. V. Poiss. ii., 378. 

 " rupestris. Val., " " ix., 437. 



Bonaci cardenal. Patcra, tab. 16, fig. I. 

 Johnius guttatus. Schn., in Bloch, Syst. 77. 



The back is red, the lower parts of the body violet, the trunk covered 

 with blackish quadrilateral spots ; the lower parts of the head and stom- 

 ach with rounded reddish spots, which cover also a great part of the 

 fins. In the adults the black spots are smaller and rounded, and the 

 red ground color not so marked ; but it is found on some parts at all 



