Jordan and Ever?nann. — Fishes of North America. 1151 



Subgenus SCHISTORUS, Gill. 

 1545. EPINEPHELUS MYSTACINUS* (Poey). 



(CnERNA DE LO ALTO.) 



Head 2^; depth 2% ; eye large, 4i in head. D. XI, 15 ; A. Ill, 9 : scales 

 18-120-50, pores 75. Body oblong, rather deep, somewhat compressed, 

 its thickness 2| in its depth. Head large, rather ol)tu8e, the anterior 

 profile little convex and not steep. Mouth moderate, the broad maxillary 

 reaching posterior border of eye, 2i in head ; maxillary naked or nearly 

 so. Teeth rather strong, those below mostly biserial, those above in a 

 narrow band ; canines small, shorter than the depressible teeth of the 

 inner series, those of the lower jaw scarcely dittereutiated ; lower jaw 

 little projecting. Posterior nostril larger than anterior, nearly round. 

 Interorbital space slightly convex, 6 in head. Preopercle rather sharply 

 serrate, the posterior limb nearly vertical, not emarginate, the angle 

 nearly a right angle, its serrations considerably enlarged, coarse, variable 

 in form, some of the lower ones usually hooked forward. Lower limb 

 straight, its edge otherwise entire. Skull essentially as in other species 

 of Epineplielua. Opercle with 3 distinct spines, larger than in any other 

 of our species. Gill rakers short and thick, 15 below the angle. Scales 

 mostly ctenoid, those on head small ; none on the maxillary and few on 

 lower jaw. Lower jaw with 5 or 6 large mucous pores on each side, more 

 distinct than in our other species. Dorsal spines rather strong and high, 

 the first nearly half the second, which is considerably higher than the 

 tenth; third spine longest, 2f in head; second, fourth, fifth, and sixth 

 but little shorter ; soft dorsal rather high; caudal rounded, its longest 

 ray 1| in head; anal rounded, its longest ray 2^ in head; second anal 

 spine stronger than third, which is of the same length, 3f in head ; pec- 

 torals reaching slightly beyond tips of ventrals. If in head ; ventrals 

 rather long. Pyloric cceca many, according to Poey. Color in life, dull 

 olive brown, the body grayish brown crossed by 8 bands of dark olive 

 brown, the one on caudal peduncle broader than the others, darkest on 

 back of tail ; these bands, which are more conspicuous in life than those 

 of other species of this genus, become faint in spirits ; a dark mus- 

 tache along edge of maxillary ; three dark bands across cheek, almost 

 disappearing in spirits; dorsal dull olive, the bands of sides extending 

 on the scaly parts ; caudal and anal dull olive, the anal dusky in spirits; 

 ventrals blackish; pectorals light olive brown; mouth bluish within. 

 West Indies, south to Brazil ; not rare. It inhabits deeper water than 

 most species of Epineplielus. Size small; length about 2 feet; the speci- 

 men here described from Havana, 10 inches long, (fivaru^, mustache.) 

 Serranus viystacinus, Poey, Memorias, i, 52, 1851, pi. 10, flg. 1, Cuba; Gunther, Cat., i, 109, 



1859. 

 Schislorus mystacinus, Poey, Kepertorio, ii, 154, 1868. 

 Epinephehis mystacinm, Jordan & Swain, I. c, 383, 1884; Jordan & Kigenmann, I. c, 360, 1890. 



* This specie.? is referred liy Dr. Boiilenger to the synonymy of Epinephelns septemfascialut 

 (Thunborg). It is evidently oloscly allied to this Japanese form, but we hesitate to unite them 

 without material for comparison. 



