86. SEREANID^. 
527 
■with pointed teeth. Gill-membranes separate, free from the isthmus. 
B ranch iostegals 7 or 6. Cheeks and opercles scaly; preopercle with 
its posterior margin nsnally more or less serrate ; opercles nsually ending 
in one or two flat points or spins. Ncstiils double. Lateral line con- 
tinnons, single, not rnnning np on the caudal fin (except in Centropomus). 
Skull without cranial spines, not cavernous. No suborbital stay. Dorsal 
fin variously developed, continuous or divided, the spines generally stiff. 
Anal fin rather short, with 3 spines, which are rarely reduced in number 
or obsolete. Veutrals separate, throacic, 1, 5. Pectorals well developed. 
Caudal fin truncate, rounded, or moderately forked, its peduncle stout 
and not keeled. Vertebrm about 25. Air-bladder present, usually rather 
small, and adherent to the walls of the abdomen. Intestinal canal 
short, with several or many iiyloric appendages; the stomach coecal. 
Genera 40; species about 300. Carnivorous fishes, chiefly marine, 
and found in all warm seas; a few in fresh waters. 
As here understood, the Serranidw comprises the most of the family 
of Percidcc as understood by Giiuther and others, exclusive of those with 
imperfect pseudobranchite, those with one or two anal spines and with 
the number of vertebrm increased, those in which the whole length of 
the maxillary slips under the preorbital, and the forms related to 
Priacantlius. Even after these eliminations the family is considerably 
varied. The definition of genera in this group ofiers many difficulties. 
(Percidce, groups Percina, Serranina, exclusive of certain species, Giiutlier, i, 61-220: 
ScrranidcB, Labracidce, Centropomidce, Gill.) 
*Aual spines strong; dorsal spines several. 
t Branchiostegals seven. 
a. Teeth all villiform, without canines. 
b. Caudal fin deeply forked ; dorsal divided, 
c. Tongue toothless ; supplemental maxillary present. (Ccnh’opominw.) 
d. Second anal spine strong Centropomus, 270. 
cc. Tongue with teeth ; supplemental maxillary wanting. (^Labracinw.) 
e. First dorsal with 9 spines Eoccus, 271. 
bb. Caudal fin not forked. 
e. Tongue toothless ; head scarcely armed. 
/. First dorsal of 10 spines, depressihle in a groove.. Stereolepis, 272. 
ee. Tongue with teeth ; head well armed. 
g. Dorsal continuous ; a rough ridge on the operculum. 
• Polyprion, 27.3. 
aa. Teeth not all villiform, some of them more or less enlarged and canine like. 
(SerranincB.) 
h. Maxillary without distinct supplemental hone ; lateral canines 
usually stronger than those in front Serranus, 274. 
Jih. Maxillary with a distinct supplemental bone ; anterior canines 
strongest ; inner series of teeth depressihle. 
i. Cranium above with three parallel raised crests ; anal rays 
about III, 11 Trisotropis, 275. 
