PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 385 



Vol. VII, IVo. 25. Wa^hin^toii, ». C. Sept. 18, 1884. 



dorsal rather high ; caudal rounded, If in liead. Soft anal rounded, 

 the largest ray 2:^ in head. Second anal spine stronger than third and 

 about as long, 4 in head. Pectorals reaching tips of ventrals, 1| in liead. 



Color in life, rather pale olivaceous gray, paler below, and with ob- 

 scure whitish clouds along sides. Body with about 4 vertical bars, 

 very irregular and undulating, of an olive-brown color, darker on the 

 back, and all extending on the dorsal fin ; a square blotch of jet 

 black on back of tail; a band of dark olive through eye and on snout, 

 meeting its fellow on shoulder, just before dorsal ; another on median 

 line of snout, forking opposite front of eye, the two bands extending 

 backward parallel and ceasing abruptly on occiput without reaching 

 the other band ; dark shades radiating from eye below ; a ring of deep 

 brown or blackish points around eye, the upper ones on eye ; a deep 

 orange-red stripe on lower edge of preorbital ; mouth within partly 

 orange ; lower parts of head and breast tinged with orange and with 

 coppery cloudings; vertical fins colored like the parts of the body 

 nearest them ; edge of both dorsals yellow ; caudal and anal tipped 

 with orange yellow; ventrals blackish, faintly yellowish at tips; pec- 

 torals, chiefly light orange, dusky at base. 



The bands and dark markings of body become fainter in old examples 

 of this species, and almost disappear in alcoholic specimens. 



This species is one of the commonest food-fishes both at Key West and 

 Havana, being called at the former place I^assau Grouper, and at the 

 latter Cherna criolla, or simply Cherna. It reaches a considerable size, 

 probably not less than that of U. morio. The great majority of those 

 seen in the markets are, however, small, less than 18 inches in length. 



18. Epinephelus sellicauda. 



Epinephelus sellicauda, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1862, 250 (Cape Sau 



Lucas) ; Jot. & Gilb., Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1881, 229 (Socorro Island); 



Jor. & Gilb., op. eit., 1882, 360 (Cape San Lucas); Jor. & Gilb., op. cit, 



1882, 371 (Colima); Jor. & Gilb., op. cit., 1882, 625 (Panama); Jor. & 



Gilb., Bull. U. S. Fisli Conim.,1882, 107 (Mazatlan). 

 Serranus sellicauda, Giiuther, Fishes Centr. Amer., 1869, 409 (Panama); Stein- 



dachner, Ichth. Beitr., iv, 1871, 5 (Panama). 

 Epinephelus ordinatus, Cope, Trans. Am. Pbilos. Soc, 1871, 466 (Panama). 



Habitat. — Pacific coast of tropical America; Cape San Lucas to 

 Panama, generally common. 



Head, 2^ (3^) ; depth, 3 (3^). D. XI, 15 ; A. Ill, 8. Scales, 16-93-x. 

 Length (28213, Eevillagedos), 11^ inches. 



Body oblong, moderately compressed, the back somewhat elevated. 



Head rather slender and sharp, anteriorly pointed, the profile nearly 



straight from the tip of the lower jaw to the base of the dorsal. Snout 



sharp, 3A in head. Lower jaw strongly projecting. Month moderate, 



Proc. ^"at. Mus. 84 25 



