1130 Bulletin 4^, United States National Museum. 



I. Ventral flns iuserted below or more or less behind axil of pectoral; branch- 

 ioategals 7. 

 ?(. Dorsal fin with 4 or 5 spines produced in long filaments; dorsal rays 

 X, 12, or X, 13; preopercle evenly serrate; preorbital cuiiipari- 

 tively broad; top of head, cheeks, and preorbital finely and 

 closely waled to the tip of snout; snout long and low, the lower 

 jaw mucli projecting; caudal lunate; scales rather small; cranium 

 with a large smooth area, much as in Serramis and I'rionodts, 

 body elongate, little compressed; gill rakers few and short. 



Ckatinus, 506. 



«M. Dorsal without long filamentous spines, not more than one of its 



spines specially produced. 



V. Body short and deep, with elevated back, the depth more than g 



the length, usually nearly half ; preopercle with a few 



antrorse serra3 on its lower limb; top of supraoccipital crest 



very high, about as long as the smooth area on vertex of 



cranium, which is well developed, as in Seiranus and Prionodes. 



Top of head naked; dorsal rays usually X, 14. 



Hypoplectrus, 507. 

 rv. Body comparatively elongate, the depth ^ to 34 the length; no 

 hooked spinules on lower limb of preopercle. 

 w. Cranium with its smooth area very short and small, much as in 

 Ceulroprisles; caudal fin more or less distinctly lunate or 

 concave, the middle rays shortest; dorsal spines strong, 

 very unequal, the third or fourth more or less elevated; 

 (scales small; dorsal rays X, 14; top of head usually 

 more or less scaly). Paralabrax, 508. 



tt. Ventral flns anterior, inserted more or less in advance of axil of pectoral, 

 well separated; upper half of pectoral fin usually vertically|truncate. 

 X. Smooth area on top of cranium very short and small*; the long 

 supraoccipital crest encroaching on the posterior border of cra- 

 nium so that the latter in profile is not nearly vertical along the 

 occipital region. Branchiostegals 7. Caudal fin not lunate, 

 rounded, or ending in 3 points, the middle rays produced like the 

 outer ones; dorsal spines slender, the third little elevated, some 

 of them with dermal appendages or filaments ^teeth small, in 

 broad bands; top of head naked; scales large, dorsal rays X, 11). 



Centropristes, 509. 



XX. Smooth area on top of cranium* very large, longer than the low 



supraoccipital crest, which is low and short; posterior border of 



cranium at occipital region nearly vertical in profile. Caudal fin 



lunate or truncate; dorsal rays X, 11 to X, 13; soft dorsal scaleless 



or nearly so. Canine teeth small. 



y. Branchiostegals 7; caudal fin forked or lunate; none of the dorsal 



spines elongate. 



2. Preopercle with numerous strong diverging spines at its angle, 



these spines diverging from one or two centers; preorbital 



broader than maxillary, which is widest near its middle; 



scales rather large. Diplectrum,510. 



zz. Preopercle simply and rather finely serrate; preorbital narrow. 



Prionodes, 511. 

 yij. Branchiostegals 6; caudal fin truncate. Dules, 512. 



88. Gill rakers (in American species) very long, slender, and close set; lateral 

 line running close to the back; supraoccipital crest high; occiput with 

 a short convex smooth area; canines strong; no depressible teeth; pre- 

 orbital narrow ; maxillary without supplemental boiie or with a rudiment 

 only. 



* Seen on removal of skin of vertex. 



