Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North America. 1161 



501. GARRUPA, Jordan. 

 (Black Groupers.) 



Gampa, Jordan, Bull. U. S. Fish Comiii., viii, 1888 (1890), 353, {nujritvs). 



This genus contains very large groupers, closely allied to Ejrinephelus, 

 but with the skull diflfevent in form so far as its upper surface is con- 

 cerned. In Garrnpar' the skull is very broad and flat, the interorbital 

 area is little concave, and the median ridge is scarcely evident ; the 

 occipital crest disappears before reaching the interorbital region ; the 

 outline of the skull above is everywhere more or less flattened; the top 

 of the temporal crest points outward; the stay of the occipital crest 

 meets the crest at right angles and does not form a groove between itself 

 and the latter. A single species known, of very great size, its dorsal 

 spines indiflferently 10 or 11. Atlantic Ocean. {Garrupa, the Portuguese 

 name of the large species of Epinephelus, transferred also to species of 

 Sehastodcs, and corrupted by the Americans into Grouper or Groper.) 



1556. GARRUPA NIGRITA (Holbrook). 

 (Black Jewfish ; Black Grouper ; Mero de lo Alto.) 



Head 2i; depth 2J ; eye very small, 6 to 8 in head. D. XI, 14 (nigrita), 

 or X, 14 (merits) ; A. Ill, 9 ; scales 90 to 110. Body very robust ; teeth in 

 broad bands; canines strong, but growing smaller with age. Interor- 

 bital width ii in head; lower jaw projecting; maxillary scaly, about 2 in 

 head, extending beyond eye; preopercle rounded, without salient angle, 

 the young with enlarged teeth at the angle. Gill rakers short and thick, 

 X -[- 12 to 14, the longest not twice as long as broad. Dorsal fin notched ; 

 second dorsal spine longest, its length 2 to 3 times in head, and half 

 longer than third spine ; caudal fin rounded ; second anal spine shorter 

 than third, 6 in head. Scales ciliated, those of lateral line of the ordi- 

 nary type. Color plain chocolate brown, varying to blackish gray, with- 

 out markings, or with faint pale blotches, the lower parts scarcely paler, 

 the distal part of the vertical fins darker ; a dark streak along edge of 

 maxillary. South Atlantic and Gulf coast of the United States (Charles- 

 ton to Peusacola) south to Cuba and Brazil, once straying to Sicily, 

 rather common off the coast of Florida. This species reaches a weight 

 of probably 500 pounds, about the same size as the largest known exam- 

 ples of Promicrops guttatiis and Stercolepis rjigas; but one specimen of less 

 than 100 pounds weight examined by naturalists. None of the European 

 Serranidw reaches so large a size, the extreme weight oi Kpinephelus fjnaza 

 being, according to Doderlein, about 50 kilograms; that of E. caninm, 90 

 kilograms, {nigritus, blackened.) (Eu.) 



Serranns tiigrUus, Holbrook, Icbth. S. Carolina, Ed. 1, 173, pi. xxv, fitr. 11, 1850, Charleston ; 

 GliNTHER, Cat, I, 134, 1859. 



* lu Epinephelus morio the skull is narrow and the upper surface rugose, the interorbital area 

 is deeply concave, and the median crest, though low, ia quite iiromineiit; the occipital crest is 

 sharp, and drawn out so that it gradually merges into the inti-rorhital ridge; tlie outline of the 

 skull immediately behind the orbit is convex; the tip of the temporal crest points inward to the 

 occipital crest; the stay of the occipital crest forms a groove betwcuu it iiud the posterior part of 

 the crest. 



