1194 Bulleti?i 4y, United States National Museum. 



inserted below origin of second dorsal ray, tlie base of its last ray being 

 beneath that of ninth dorsal ray, its third spine very slightly longer 

 than the second, their diameters etj^ual ; anal higher than dorsal, its 

 greatest height equal to distance between base of the ventrals and origin 

 of anal ; caudal crescent-shaped, the external rays much prolonged, 

 especially those of the upper lobe, which are twice as long as the middle 

 caudal rays; distance of pectorals from snout equal to height of body at 

 ventrals, their length equal to that of the superior caudal lobe; when 

 extended horizontally these tins reach to vortical from insertion of first 

 anal ray ; distance of ventrals from snout equal to half standard body 

 length; ventrals extending to insertion of anal, and equal in length to 

 the rays of the lower caudal lobe. Color in alcohol, dull purple ; in life, 

 probably deep purple, with cloudings of lighter color ; fins in alcohol 

 colorless, in life probably pearly ; external rays of the caudal correspond- 

 ing in hue with the deeper portions of the body color. Florida Keys ; 

 known from one specimen from Garden Key ; whether variable in color is 

 of course, not known, {gemma, a jewel.) 



Hiipopkclriis gemma, GooBE & Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1882, 428, Garden Key, Florida, 

 (Type, No. 3422) ; Jordan & Eigenmann, /. c, 386, 1890. 



508. PARALABRAX, Girard. 

 (Cabrillas Verdes.) 



Paralahra.r, Giraud, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1850, 131, {nehttlifcr). 

 Atracluperca, GiLL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1861, 165, {clathratHs). 

 Gonioperca, GlLL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1863, 80, (<ilhoinaculalns). 



Body robust, covered with small ctenoid scales. Mouth large, with 

 small lateral canines and no depressible teeth. The smooth area on the 

 top of the cranium is very short and small, not extending much behind 

 the orbits. The long and low supraoccipital crest extending well forward 

 to a line connecting the postfrontal processes. Ventral fins, as in Serranus 

 and EinnepJielus, inserted behind the axil of the pectoral. Caudal fin 

 always lunate ; some of the anterior dorsal spines considerably elevated. 

 Dorsal rays usually X, 14; anal III, 7. The known species of Paralahrax 

 are confined to the coasts of tropical America, where they are important 

 food-fishes, (napu, near; Labrax, Xdfipa^, the sea bass or Bohalo of Europe, 

 Dicen trarch m-s la brax. ) 

 a. Interorbital area more or less scaly, the scales extending forward at least to the middle of 

 pupil ; third dorsal spine longer than fourth ; gill rakers x -|- 14 to 17 ; preorbital 

 broad, as broad as eye in adult ; some of the serras on lower limb of preorbital hooked 

 forward. 

 6. Scales on top of head extending forward .as far as front of eyes ; no round dark spots 

 anywhere except on cheeks and preorbital region ; lower jaw projecting ; eye mod- 

 erate, shorter than snout, about 53^ in liead ; mouth large, the maxillary 2g in head, 

 rather narrower than the preorbital; first two dorsal spines short, the third very long, 

 three times second and nearly 2 in head ; caudal slightly lunate ; second anal spin(! 

 as long as third and much stouter; color greenish, with irregular pale and dark 

 mottling and traces of dark oblique cross bars ; preorbital, suborbital, and cheeks 

 profusely marked with round orange spots ; a dark streak downward and backward 

 from eye. nebulifeu 1582. 



