360 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



dd. Scales of lateral line simple; cranium narrow between the eyes; pyloric 

 cceca few or many; soft dorsal with 15 to 17 rays. 

 e. Preopercle without a strong antrorse spine at its angle. ..Epinephelus, 8. 

 ee. Preopercle with a single (rarely 2) strong spine directe^ downward and 



forward, near its angle Alphestes, 4. 



bb. Dorsal spines nine ; scales ctenoid, those of the lateral line simple ; spines rather 

 strong ; cranium rather narrow between orbits, its lateral crests posteriorly 

 little developed; soft dorsal with 14 or 15 rays; size small ; pyloric cceca 

 few. 



Enneacentrus, 5. 



aa. Scales all smooth; canines very small or obsolete; head rather small, the body 



comparatively deep ; soft dorsal unusually long of 19 or 20 rays ; spines low. 



Dermatolepis, 6. 



I.— Genus MYCTEROPERCA. 



Mycteroperca, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1863, 80 {olfax: diagnosis erroneous). 

 Trisotropis, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Plrila., 1865, 104 {guttatus—cardinalis). 

 Parepinephelus, Bleeker, Systema Percarum Revisum, 1875, 257 {acuiiro8tri8 = 8ci- 

 renga : diagnosis erroneous). 



The species of this genus closely resemble those of Epinephelus, but 

 are distinguished by a number of minor cliaracters, apparently con- 

 stant, as well as by the differences in the structure of the cranium, 

 described in detail by Professor Gill in the paper on Trisotropis, above 



cited. 



analysis of species of mycteroperca. 



a. Second dorsal spine shorter than third, the third and fourth longest. 

 h. Margin of anal tin posteriorly concave, its middle rays much exserted. 

 c. Center rays of caudal scarcely produced, not two-thirds leugth of head ; canine 

 teeth moderate; angle of preopercle little salient; scales small 

 (lat. 1. about 130) ; color plain red; vertical fins without black 



edgings Rosacea, 1. 



cc. Outer rays of caudal much produced, more than two-thirds length of head; 

 preopercle with salient angle; canine teeth strong; scales 

 small (lat. 1. 140) ; color brownish with small darker spots ; 



vertical fins broadly edged with blackish Falcata, 2. 



}>}>. Margin of anal not concave ; caudal simply lunate or subtruncate. 



d. Body with light and dark cross-bars ; anal fin with angular margin, sub- 

 truncate posteriorly ; preopercle without salient angle ; scales 



small (lat. 1. 133) ; form rather robust Tigris, 3. 



dd. Body without cross-bars; soft parts of vertical fins broadly edged with 

 blue-black, and with a narrow pale margin. 

 e. General color dusky olivaceous, more or less marbled with darker; no dis- 

 tinct red anywhere and no distinct black spots ; pectoral not 

 broadly edged with orange. 

 /. Interorbital area channeled ; angle of preopercle little salient ; body 

 jSlender ; caudal little concave; scales smallish (about 120); 

 sides with small faint spots of darker; commissure with yel- 

 low-green Interstitialis, 4. 



ff. Interorbital space not distinctly channeled. 



g. Angle of preopercle salient, armed with stronger teeth. 



h. (Nostrils very close together, separated only by a vertical membrane ; 

 scales small (about 130) ; caudal subtruncate, its angles pro- 

 duced ; commissure with yellowish ; body covered with small 

 round yellowish spots.) Calliura, 5. 



