94 PAPERS FROM TORTUGAS LABORATORY vol. xxxiv 



and Evermann (Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 47, pt. 1, 1896, p. 1156) to accept it in 

 1896, after rejecting it ten years earlier, seem not to be permanent. 



I have had 6 fresh specimens, ranging in length from 55 to 180 mm., obtained 

 in 30 to 58 fathoms. 



The ground color of the smallest one was dark brown verging toward black; 

 dorsal fin the same, its spinous part with a yellow border, its lobe pale; pectoral 

 and caudal fins colorless; ventral and anal fins black; a faint mustache; a blue 

 streak reaching from eye to a point above preopercular angle; three blue spots at 

 base of dorsal, four or five on lateral line, about three each in two rows below 

 line, and several on side of head behind eye. 



A specimen 135 mm. in length combines in its color pattern the elements 

 which have been held to distinguish E. niveatus and E. flavolimbatus. Its ground 

 color is olive green above, lighter below; membrane of outer two-fifths of dorsal 

 bright yellow, except toward end of soft dorsal lobe; pectoral and most of caudal 

 colorless or nearly so; ventral and anal almost black; a narrow blue line extend- 

 ing from below eye to preopercular- angle; upper part of opercle and preopercle 

 with several blue spots about 1.5 mm. in diameter; five similar spots at base of 

 dorsal, six along lateral line, and four others below it in vertical of the anterior 

 four of the other two series; a black mustache; a black saddle on caudal peduncle; 

 and a faint suggestion of a dark bar at base of caudal fin. 



The same specimen has the fin formulas D. X.\,i^V z ; A. 111,9%. Scales about 

 25-112 to 115-45 to 5° '■> 7° with pores. Outer teeth in upper jaw fixed, those in 

 inner row and all in lower jaw depressible, posterior ones in both series above 

 rather strong canines; teeth on vomer and palatines; gill rakers above angle of 

 anterior arch 7 including 3 rudiments, 15 below, the lower 2 very short; posterior 

 margin of preopercle weakly serrate, with 4 rather strong divergent spines at its 

 angle; opercle with 3 spines; ventrals as long as pectorals, and reaching slightly 

 beyond anal origin; pyloric caeca 5 on one side, 3 on the other. 



A specimen 180 mm. long had a yellow-margined dorsal, a streak from the 

 eye, and blue spots on dorsal at spines 4 to 7, 10 to 11, and rays 4 to 6; pyloric 

 caeca 5 and 3 respectively on the two sides. W. H. L. 



The collection contains 4 specimens, ranging in length from 52 to 165 mm., 

 which retain the color markings essentially as described. 

 Atlantic coast of tropical America to Florida, sometimes straying northward. 



S.F. H. 



Epinephelus mystacinus (Poey) 



I have had a single specimen, 320 mm. long, taken between 83 and 94 fathoms. 



This fish has the same fin formulas as Epinephelus niveatus. Its lateral-line 

 scales with pores, its teeth, and spines on the head are the same, except that those 

 at the preopercular angle are not so sharp. Gill rakers 9 on upper, 16 on lower 

 limb of first arch; mouth only faintly bluish within; ventrals as long as pectorals, 

 and not reaching vent; pectorals brownish; ventrals dusky, particularly between 

 rays; blue spots on dorsal fin, and more on body than in specimens of E. niveatus 



