106 



BULLETIN 180, UiSTlTED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



upper jaw with a band of villiform teeth, the outer row of which are 

 small canines, nondepressibie ; teeth on vomer and palatines; maxil- 

 lary probably with some scales, though these are not much developed. 

 Color in alcohol: Head and upper half of body brown, especially 

 anteriorly; posteriorly the lower half of body is pale with faint 

 reticulations; anteriorly the lower half of body and head is spotted 

 with pale round blotches, the largest a little smaller than the pupil ; 

 these pale spots occur from below the eye forward to tip of snout, on 

 lower jaw, isthmus, and on base of pectorals and breast; behind the 

 pectoral and pelvic bases the pale spots join to form a reticulated 

 pattern fading in plain pale about over anus ; the most characteristic 



Figure 8. — Epinephelus urodelops, new species: Holotype (U.S.N.M. No. 115366), 

 85 mm. in standard length. 



color jnark is a black blotch on the upper surface of the caudal pedun- 

 cle surrounded by a pale ring, directly behind this black blotch is a 

 small black spot also surrounded by pale color ; the caudal fin has an 

 oblique dark bar across the rays posteriorly and a fainter one ven- 

 trally ; the margin of the soft anal rays is blackish then submarginally 

 a pale band, bordered basally by some diffuse brownish pigment, the 

 rest of the fin has a diffuse reticulated pattern. 



Remarks. — This species resembles very closely in color Cephalo- 

 pholis urodehis but differs from it and all other species of serranids 

 in the fewer number of soft dorsal rays, 8 instead of 10 or more. 



Named urodelops in reference to the general appearance of the color 

 pattern of CepJialopholis urodelus. 



EPINEPHELUS MERRA Bloch 



Epinephelus merra Bloch, Naturgeschichte auslandischen Fische, vol. 7, pt. 10, 

 p. 17, pi. 329?, 1793. 



115384, Tutuila Island, reef at Alofau, June 3, 1939, 3 specimens. 



115371, Tutuila Island, reef at entrance Pago Pago Bay, June 2, 1939, 1 specimen. 



115385, Tutuila Island, Fagasa Bay, rock pools, June 5, 1939, 6 specimens. 



115372, Enderbury Island, reef, May 15 to 19, 1939, 6 specimens. 



115373, Hull Island, reef, July 12-15, 1939, 13 specimens. 



