1330 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



Epinephelus, with which genus this family agrees in general osteology ; 

 smooth area on top of cranium very large, transversely convex, much 

 longer than the supraoccipital crest ; interorbital area very narrow ; 

 parietal and supraoccipital bones short, with feeble crests which do not 

 extend on the frontals ; premaxillaries reaching frontals, which have a 

 fossa in front; teeth all villifomi, in bands on jaws, vomer, and pala- 

 tines ; preopercle crescent-shaped, without angle or serratures, but pro- 

 vided with 2 or 3 spinous hooks on the posterior margin ; opercle with 2 

 or 3 spines ; gill rakers short. Branchiostegals 7. Dorsal fins separate, 

 the first of 2 or 3 (rarely 4) small spines, the second of many (about 25) soft 

 rays ; anal long, rounded, of soft rays only ; caudal rounded ; pectorals 

 rounded, nearly synmietrical, of 17 rays ; ventrals small, I, 5, inserted 

 slightly before pectorals, the spine short and strong. Vertebrae 10 -f- 

 14 = 24. Skeleton generally similar to that of Epinephelus. Species about 

 8, all from the seas of tropical America, llypticus is apparently related 

 to the EpinephcUna', from which it is perhaps descended, having suftered 

 degradation in the loss of the anal spines and most of the dorsal sijines, 

 in the less roughness of the scales, and in the increase in numbers of the 

 soft rays. The resemblance of Rypticus to Dermatolepis is especially 

 marked. The Old World genus Grammistes, commonly referred to the 

 Serranida', has much in common with Eypticus, but in Grammistes the fin 

 formula is D. VII-I, 13 ; A. 8. {pvnTiKoc, washing, from the soajiy feeling 

 of the skin.) 



I. RyPTicus : 

 a. Dorsal spines 2 or 3 (rarely 4). 



6. Preopercle with 3 spines, the uppermost blunt, and sometimes obsolete, the lower the 

 largest; opercle with three strong spines, the middle one largest; body rather deep, 

 the depth about equal to length of head and 3^4 in length to base of caudal; dor- 

 sals slightly connected; ventral fins moderate, nearly twice as long as eye; gill 

 rakers short and thick. Color Very dark olive brown, the fins all blackish; sides 

 with vague blotches of light brown. xanti, 1616. 



bb. Preopercle with two spines only, the lower scarcely the longer. 

 c. Opercular spines 3, all well developed. 



(/. Color red, with darker cross shades on sides of back; fins all dusky; dorsal fins 

 well separated; body rather elongate. bicolor, 1617. 



dil. Color not red, chiefly olivaceous; dorsal fins distinctly connected by mem- 

 brane. 

 e. Eye not longer than snout; pores in lateral line 85 to 90. Body compara- 

 tively deep, the depth in the adult about equal to length of head and 

 3 to 33^ in length to base of caudal; young more slender; back elevated; 

 first and second dorsal spines subequal, the third smallest; dorsals 

 sliglitly connected; ventrals very small; gill rakers very small and 

 short, about 8 developed. Color dusky brown, fins marked with 

 blackish and usually with a narrow jiale edge; sides generally with 

 irregular pale spots; back and head usually immaculate. 



SAPONACEUS, 1618. 



ee. Eye longer than snout; pores in lateral line 67; brownish, with blackish 

 spots and dots. arenatus, 1619. 



cc. Opercular spines 2, small, the uppermost the smaller (the lowermost being obso- 

 lete); dorsal fins separated; body moderately elongate; preopercular spines 

 short, bluntish, close together, the uppermost the smaller; first dorsal spine 

 longest, the two fins well separated. Color nearly plain brown, the edges of 

 the scales darker with dark points; sides with some faint paler spots; edges 

 of vertical fins dusky. coriaceus, 1620. 



