PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 399 



b. Brown variety (coronatua). 



Serramis coronatus, Cuv. & Val., ii, 371, 1828 (Martinique) ; Poey, Repertorio, i, 



198, 1868. 

 jSirranus coronatus var. nigriculus, Giinther, i, 1859, 124. 

 Petrornetopon guttatus, Poey, Synopsis Pise. Cub., 1868,288 (Havana) ; Poey, 



Enum. Pise. Cubeus., 1875, 19. ' 

 Epinephelm guttatus, Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1884, 125 (Key West). 



Habitat. — West Indies to Brazil, var. coronatufi extending northward 

 to Florida Keys. 



Head, 2J (S?.); depth, 2f (3.^). D. IX, 14; A. ill, 8. Scales, 14-80-x. 

 Length, 8i inches. 



Body oblong, rather deep and compressed, its width 2\ in great- 

 est depth. Head moderate, a little acnte anteriorly, the profile nearly 

 straight from snout to nape, where it is rather convex. Mouth rather 

 large, the maxillary extending somewhat beyond eye, its length 1^ in 

 head. Lower jaw not strongly projecting. Teeth in narrow bands, the 

 depressible teeth of the inner series very long and slender, longer than 

 in any other of our species, those of the lower jaw and front of upper 

 especially enlarged, longer than the small, subequal canines. Eye 

 large, 5 in head ; interorbital space narrow, with a median depression, 

 its width 7 in head. Preopercle convex, very weakly serrate, its pos- 

 terior angle obliquely subtruncate, without salient angle or distinct 

 emargination. Opercle with three distinct spines. Nostrils small, sub- 

 equal. Gill-rakers slender. 



Scales rather large, mostly ctenoid. 



Dorsal spines rather slender and pungent, the fourth and fifth spines 

 highest, 3f in head, the outline of the fin gently arched. Caudal very 

 convex, its middle rays If in head, their length If times that of the 

 outer rays. Anal rounded, its longest ray half head. Second anal 

 spine a little stronger than third and slightly longer, 2§ in head. Pec- 

 torals long, reaching much past tip of ventrals, 1^ in head. 



Coloratian of hrotcn variety, coronatus. — In life, whitish or dusky 

 olive, somewhat translucent, the head decidedly greenish. Spots every- 

 where, all bright orange-red, darker in the center, those on the edges 

 of the vertical fins darker maroon, or cherry color. Four larger spots 

 along base of dorsal, inky black, irregular, the third largest, the fourth 

 smallest. A very small one on each side of shoulder. Eyes green above, 

 with red specks, iris yellow. Fins rather bluish. Tips of ventrals 

 dusky. Tips of vertical fins appearing so, from the darker color of the 

 spots. In spirits the bright spots become brown or fade into the ground 

 color; those on the head mostly disappearing. 



Scarlet variety, guttatus. — The coloration in life differs from the 

 above in having the ground hue a livid reddish gray, a little paler 

 below, and the spots are vermilion, usually darker posteriorly. The 

 spots are larger than in the preceding, especially anteriorly. 



In spirits the vermilion spots become light gray, except posteriorly, 



