380 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



/. Caudal peduncle with a large quadrate black blotch above (sometimes 

 obsolete in the young, and in very old examples). 

 g. Eye surrounded by conspicuous dark brown points ; body with irreg- 

 ular darker cross-bars; preopercular angle little salient; third 

 dorsal spine highest, 2| in head ; scales moderate (about 100) ; 

 lower jaw little projecting; vertical fins broadly edged with 



yellow Striatus, 17. 



gg. Eye not surrounded by dark points ; sides with steel blue or whitish 

 spots and blotches ; no dark cross-bars ; lower jaw strongly 

 projecting, 

 h. Angle of preopercle not salient, its serrte weak ; pale spots on body 



scattered, those on breast distinct Sellicauda, 18. 



Kh. Angle of preopercle salient, with strong teeth ; pale spots on body 

 regularly arranged ; those on breast indistinct ; pyloric cieca 



numerous Niveatus, 19. 



ff. Caudal peduncle without saddle-like blotch above. 



i. Body, head, and fins dark brown, covered with small, pearly 

 white stellate spots ; lower parts reddish ; i^reopercle without 

 salient angle; fins not edged with black.. Drummond-Hayi, 20. 

 ii. Body and fins without stellate spots. 

 j. Vertical fins edged with red ; color brown, variegated with yel- 

 lowish brown, black, and white ; " external appearance 

 labroid" ; scales rather large, those below lateral line ciliated, 

 those above and on belly smooth ; second dorsal spine about as 

 long as third ; preopercle obscurely serrate, without prominent 



angle Labriformis, 21. 



jj. Vertical fins broadly edged with black ; color reddish brown, 

 nearly plain ; jireopercle with strong teeth at its angle ; dorsal 

 spines subequal, rather low; interorbital space of moderate 



width Gigas, 22. 



ee. Body and head covered with red or orange spots (brown or blackish in 



spirits). 



i. Vertical fins broadly edged with blue-black, their bases unspotted ; 



body without pale spots ; the orange spots rather small ; 



lower jaw little projecting; preopercle with salient angle; size 



small Apua, 23 



Ick. Vertical fins without dark edge; their bases spotted like the body; 

 body with large pale spots besides the orange spots; young 

 with large black blotches at base of dorsal; lower jaw strongly 

 projecting; angle of preopercle not salient; form robust, 



ASCENSIONIS, 24. 

 aa. Dorsal spines ten; caudal rounded; body with faint dark cross shades, and many 



round dark orange spots, these extending on the fins; vertical 

 fins not edged with black ; preopercle without salient angle ; 

 lower jaw strongly projecting Analogus, 25. 



14. Epinephelus nigritus. I}lack Grouper ; Jew-fish. 



Serranus nigritus, Holbrook, Ichth. S. Car., 1859, 173, pi. xxv, f. ii, and 1860 



(Charleston) ; Giinther, i, 1859, 134 (copied). 

 Epinephelus nigritus, Gill, Cat. Fish. E. Coast U. S., 1861, 30 (name only) ; 



Goode &, Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1878, 182; Goode & Bean, op. cit., 



1879, 139 (Pensacola); Goode, op. cit., 1879, 115 (Indian River, Florida); 



Jordan & Gilbert, Syn. Fish. N. A., 1883, 541 (copied). 



Habitat. — South Carolina and Florida. 



This species reaches a very large size. It has been rarely obtained 

 by naturalists, and is as yet unknown from the West Indies. On the 



I 



