PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 125 



82. Epinephelus striatus (Bloch). Xassau Grouper, 



Similar to the preceding iu size and liabits, and not much less abun- 

 dant. Most teen in the markets are small. 



83. Epinephelus ascensionis (Osbeck). Bock Hind. 



Three seen ; said to be much superior to the others (except U. falca- 

 tus) as a food-fish. Most of the species have tough white flesh, which 

 is rather coarse. 



84. Epinephelus guttatus (L.). (Lac^pede). Coney. 



Three specimens taken; a small fish, rarely exceeding a foot in length. 

 No specimens of the crimson variety {apiarius, Poey) were seen at 

 Key West. 



85. Serranus formosus Linnaeus. Sand-fish. 



(Diplectrum fasciculare Auct.) 



Rather common ; taken in the seine and with the hook. The char- 

 acteristic division of the preopercle into two clusters of spines is not 

 seen in the young. 



Color olive brown above, silvery below, with tinges of golden: sides 

 with narrow horizontal stripes of blue, bright above, pearlj' whitish 

 below ; six of these present, with another at base of dorsal; a broken 

 median stripe before dorsal ; stripes on head bright blue; spinous dor- 

 sal with two stripes of light blue bordered with darker, and three of 

 light orange-yellow ; three blue stripes and four yellow ones on soft 

 dorsal ; caudal with light blue reticulations around light orange spots ; 

 veutrals and anal bluish white, shaded with light yellowish ; pectoral 

 transparent ; posterior part of mouth tinged with yellow. 



SPARIDiE. 



86. Lutjanus* chrysurus (Blocli). Yellow-tail Snapper. 



A common food-fish, reaching a weight of 5 or 6 pounds ; the adult 

 taken in the channels with the hook, the young with the seine near the 

 shore. 



87. Lutjanus synagris (L.). Lone Snapper. 



Still more common than the preceding, reaching a smaller size than 

 any of the other snappers (2 to 3 pounds). The young are very abun- 

 dant about the shores and wharves. 



88. Lutjanus analis (Cuv. & Val.). Mutton-fish. 



Rather less common than either of the preceding, and reaching a 

 larger size (8 to 12 pounds). It is found with L. chrysiirus. 



89. Lutjanus campechianus Poey. litd Snapper. 



Taken in deeper water than the others ; shipped iu large numbers to 

 the Havana market in live-boats ; reaches a weight of 15 to 20 pounds, 

 but the average is not much above 10. 



•The genera Lutjanus, Ecemulon, and Calamus, being made the sftbjects of special 

 papers, arc only briclly treated here. 



