86. SEREANID^ TRISOTROPIS. 
537 
about 15 on lower part of arch; pectorals rather short, about | the 
length of the head ; ventrals 2-2^ in head ; first 2 dorsal spines ^Try 
short, the third very high, much higher than any of the others ; second 
spine one-third to one-fourth length of third, which is longer than 
snout and orbit ; second anal spine as long as third ; top of head closely 
scaled to beyond front of eyes. Head 2f ; depth 3^ ; eye less than half 
the snout. D. X, I, 14 ; A. Ill, 7 ; Lat. 1. 80. L. 18 inches. Coast of 
California, from Monterey southward ; abundant. 
(Labrax nehulifer Girard, Froc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pliila. 1854,142: Paralahrax nehulifcr 
Girard, U. S. Pac. R. R. Surv. x, 33, pi. xii: ParaJabrax nebiiUfer Giintber, i,G2; Steiu- 
dochner, Icbthyol. Beitriijfo, iii, 1.) 
ft Serrse on lower edge of preopercle, large, spur-like, directed forward. {Plectropoma* 
Cuvier.) 
§43. S. claBorsireas (C. & V.) J. & G. — Negriia. 
Color uniform blackish, strongly tinged with violet; pectoral and 
caudal yellow. Mouth rather large, the maxillary without supplemental 
bone, extending to the front of the pupil; lower jaw projecting; nine 
rows of scales on the cheek ; preopercle finely serrate above, its lower 
margin withseveral antrorse teeth. Body elevated, somewhat com- 
pressed. Pectoral long, extending beyond ventrals ; caudal forked ; sec- 
ond and third spines of anal about equal. Head 2§; depth 2^. D. 
X, 15 ; A. Ill, 7; Lat. 1. about 65. West Indies, north to Garden Key, 
Florida. 
{Plectropoma clilorurum Cuv. & Val. Hist. Nat. Poi.ss. ii, 406, 1828: P. chloruram 
Giintber, i, 167: P. clilorurum Vaill. & Boc. Miss. Sci. Mex. iv, 104: Plectropoma nigri- 
cans Voey, Memorias Cuba, i, 71, 1851: Hypoplectrus nigricans Poey, Synopsis Pise. 
Cubens. 290.) 
TRISOTTROPIS Gill. 
{Parepinephelus Bleeker.) 
(Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pbila. 1865, 104: type Perea guttata Blocb.) 
Characters of Upineplielm, except that the lateral crests on the cra- 
nium are well developed, like the ’.uedian one. “This genus is recog- 
nizable externally by its oblong form, the peculiar structure of the nos- 
trils, the form of the fins, etc., but is more especially distinguished by 
the development of the skull, which differs in a very marked manner 
* Cuvier, Regne Auim. ii, 142, 1829: type Bodian us maculatns Blocb. This group 
has been separated from Serranus on account of tbe strong antrorse teetb of tbe lower 
edge of tbe preopercle. It bas been divided by Professor Gill iuto several genera, 
wbicb bave been adopted and defined by Professor Poey, but tbeir necessity is not 
evident. It is at best an artificial group, and some of tbe current species (P. afrum, 
etc.) heiong to Epinephelus. {nXfjx'^pov^ spur; najpa operculum.) 
