392 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Serranus capreolus, Poey, Memorias Cuba, ii, 1860, 145 (Cuba) ; Vaillaut & 

 Bocourt, Mission Scieutifique au Mexique, 87 (Gulf of Mexico; Brazil; 

 Ascension). 



Epinejihelus cajyrcolus, Jordan & Gilbert, Syu. Fish. N. A., 1883, 539 (specimen 

 from Key West described). 



Serranus varius, Bocourt, Ann. Sci. Nat. Paris, 1868, 222 (Gulf of Mexico). 



Habitat. — Florida Keys; West Indies; Brazil; Ascension Island; 

 "St. Helena. 



Head, 2f (2-1%) ; depth, 3 (3|). D.XI,17; A. Ill, 7, or III, 8. Scales, 

 15_100-x. Length, 123 inches. 



Body comparatively robust, little compressed, the greatest thickness 

 2 in deptli. Head, subconic, acute, its anterior profile straight from 

 tip of snout to nape, thence slightly gibbous. Mouth rather large, the 

 maxillary reaching rather beyond the eye, 2J in head. Lower jaw 

 rather strongly projecting, more prominent than in any other of the 

 Epinepheli. Teeth in rather broad bands, the canines short and stout, 

 those of the lower jaw larger than those of the upper. lEije moderate, 

 6 in head. Interorbital space tlattish, not very narrow, its width 6 in 

 head. Xostrils subequal, roundish. Preopercle finely serrate, its out- 

 line strongly convex, with a very slight emargination. Gill-rakers rather 

 short and thick, 15 below the angle. 



Scales moderate, mostly strongly ctenoid. Dorsal spines rather 

 strong, the third and fourth longest 3i in head, the outline of the fin 

 little convex, the second spine about as long as tenth ; caudal fin 

 slightly rounded, 2 in head. Longest anal ray, 2^. Second anal spine 

 stronger than third, the length equal, 3% in head. Pectorals broad, 

 reaching much beyond the tips of the short ventrals, 1* in head. Py- 

 loric coeca 12 (Poey). 



Color in life, olivaceous gray, with darker clouds. A number of ir- 

 regular whitish blotches, roundish, mostly rather larger than pupil, 

 scattered over different parts of the body ; 5 roundish blackish blotches, 

 ill-defined along sides of back, the 4 under the dorsal fin extending 

 up on the fin, these disappearing with age. Head and body everywhere 

 covered with round orange-brown spots of varjing sizes, the centers 

 more orange, the borders rather brown ; the spots largest on breast, 

 smallest on lij^s and upper parts, equally" distinct everywhere. Mouth 

 pale within its roof with red spots. Dorsal light olive, with rather 

 sparse spots, colored like those of the body, but smaller. No dark edge 

 to dorsal or anal. Numerous whitish spots on dorsal, especially on soft 

 dorsal. Caudal i>ale olive, with some paler spots. Anal reddish, 

 marked like dorsal, its spots larger. Basal half of pectoral similar, 

 outer part plain olive. Ventrals pale, with orange spots. The orange- 

 brown spots of body and head become brown in spirits. 



This species is widely distributed through the Western Atlantic. It 

 ai)parently does not reach a large size, although usually larger, as seen 

 in the markets, than apiia. It is not rare either at Havana or Key 

 West, although in neither locality abundant. It is considered a finer 



