378 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



tenth; caudal fin rounded, its outer rays very much shortened, little 

 more than half the length of the middle rays, which are 1^ in head. 

 Anal rounded, its longest rays 2J in head. Second anal spine about as 

 long as third and a little stronger, 4f in head. Pectoral reaching a 

 little beyond tips of ventrals, 1§ in head. Ventrals 2. Pyloric cceca 

 excessively numerous and finely divided. Color of a young specimen 

 in life pale olive green, slightly yellowish on breast and lower jaw. 

 Body with five cross-bars of dark olive green, with irregular but rather 

 sharply defined edges, and extending on the dorsal and anal fin; two 

 under spinous dorsal, two between soft dorsal and anal, one on caudal 

 peduncle ; these bars partially or wholly disappear in spirits. A dark 

 blotch at nape; two shades down and backward from eye. A bar at 

 base of caudal. Round blackish spots smaller than pupil of different 

 sizes scattered over the whole of head and nuchal region ; a few along 

 back ; these smallest on upper part of head, largest on back and lower 

 parts of sides of head. Breast and belly plain. Dorsal fin olive, with 

 dark clouds like the body, a few spots on spines and tips of soft rays. 

 Caudal much clouded with dark, which forms series of spots on the 

 hinder parts, these spots smallest and best defined ijosteriorly. Anal 

 similar to caudal. Pectorals light olive, profusely covered with large 

 dark spots. Ventrals similar to pectorals, with fewer spots. Tips of 

 pectorals and caudal slightly reddish. In spirits the dark bands and 

 blotches of body are more or less faded. 



A very large specimen of this s])ecies, about 5 feet in length, seen by 

 Professor Jordan at Key West, had the same general coloration as the 

 young exami)les, the bars becoming much fainter and less definite. 



This species reaches a larger size than any other of the Epinepheli, its 

 weight being probably not less than 600 to 800 pounds. The adult fishes 

 bear a strong resemblance to the gigantic Jew-fish of California {Ste- 

 reolepis gigas), a species which we consider a near ally of P. itaiara. 



We are not able to distinguish specimens of the Pacific coast form 

 (quinquefasciatus) from the Atlantic itaiara. The bauds in the former 

 seem rather more sharply defined, but no other difference is evident. 

 The types of quinquefasciatus have been also compared with the spec- 

 imens called itaiara by Cuvier and Valenciennes, by Vaillant, and the 

 two are regarded by him as identical. The type of Lichtenstein's Ser- 

 ranus itaiara has been examined by Peters, and pronounced identical 

 with Serranus galeus of Mliller and Troschel. Professor Jordan has ex- 

 amined the original types of Poey's guasa and Miiller and Troschel's 

 galeus. There is therefore apparently no room for doubt as to the identity 

 vf itaiara, galeus, ?ind guasa. 



As to the question of the pertinence to this species of the Linnaean 

 name Perca guttata, see the discussion under the head of Enneacentrus 

 guttatus. 



The peculiarities in the scales of this species have led Vaillant and 

 Bocourt to regard it as the type of a distinct subgenus, which they have 

 called Itaiara. 



