382 PEOCEEDIN'GS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEOI. 



Serranm erythrogasier, Detay, Nevr York Fauna, Fishes, 1S42, 21. tab. 19 

 (Florida); "Storer, Synopsis, 1S46, 30" (copied); Holbrook, '• Ichth. S. 

 Carol., 1860, 29, pi. 5, fig. 2" (Cliarleston): Giinther, i, 133 (copied). 



Epinephelus erythrogaster, Gill, Cat. Fishes East Coast U. S., 30, 1861 (name 

 only). 



Serranus remotus, Poey, Memorias Cuba, ii, 140, 1860 (Havana). 



Habitat. — Atlantic coast of America : Virginia to Eio Janeiro. 



Head, 2h {^)', depth, 24- {^). D. XI. 16; A. Ill, 8, or III. 9. 

 Scales, 24-'l40-x. Length, 11 inches. 



Body comparatively deep and compressed, highest under front of spi- 

 nous dorsal, its greatest width '2h in greatest depth. Head large, mod- 

 erately pointed, the anterior profile rather steep and nearly straight. 

 Mouth rather large, the maxillary reaching slightly beyond eye, its 

 length 2\ in head. Lower jaw not strongly projecting. Teeth moder- 

 ate, in rather narrow hands : two moderate canines in the front of each 

 jaw, the lower smaller. Eye large, 5 in head (young). Interorbital 

 space narrow, its width Ih in head, the outline of the bone (under the 

 fiesh) transversely concave. Nostrils small, round, subequal. Pre- 

 opercle moderately serrate, its angle slightly salient; teeth at the 

 angle a little enlarged. Giil-iakers rather slender, about 15 below the 

 angle. 



Scales small, mostly ctenoid. Dorsal spines high, slender but pun- 

 gent, the first less than half the second, which is highest, 2^ in head ; 

 the outline of the fin thence almost straight to the tenth spine, which is 

 1^ in the second: soft dorsal not elevated; caudal fin lunate, the outer 

 rays a little i>roduced, 1| in the head ; caudal peduncle comparatively 

 slender: soft part of anal rounded, its longest ray 2f in head; second 

 anal .spine somewhat stronger but not longer than third, 4^ in head. 

 Pectorals reaching slightly beyond tips of ventrals, 14 in head. Pyloric 

 caeca 25 (Poey). 



Color in life, olive-gray or oUve-brown, clouded with paler olive, with 

 no clear red shades except on jaws and lower part of sides of head and 

 breast, these regions being usualy a salmon-color. Besides these, very 

 irregular rounded blotches of grayish white over the body: preorbital, 

 suborbital region, and snout, with numerous rouud points of dark orange- 

 brown, most numerous on preorbital, these points brown in spirits j 

 in.side of mouth posteriorly bright orange ; iris gilt. 



Vertical fins colored like the body, the shades from the body extend- 

 ing on them: soft dorsal, anal, and caudal, with a broad ridge of blue- 

 black, with a narrow whitish edge ; spinous dorsal narrowly edged with 

 blackish: ventrals, .shghtly dusky: i>ectorals, light olive. 



With age, this species becomes more and more of a flesh-red, espe- 

 cially below and on mouth ; the pale spots and blotches are less dis- 

 tinct in old examjdes. 



This species is the mo.st abundant of the genus on our coa.sts, where 

 it is known almost universally as Eed Grouper. It appears to range 

 farther northward than any other, except perhaps Mycteroperca mi- 



