NO. 9 AMERICAN FISHES — HILDEBRAND I3 



dorsal, instead of 4 complete rows, and it has 20 or Ji scales on the 

 back in advance of the dorsal wh.cre synod us has only 15 or 16. 



S. cincreus differs prominently from S. sanrus (Linnaeus) in hav- 

 ing only 9 rays in the anal instead of 1 1 or u, as well as in the absence 

 of a tentacle behind anterior nostril, which is ])rominent in saurus. It 

 is readily distinguishable from S. uichoJsi P»reder, also from the 

 Bahamas, by the much smaller head, which is contained only 2.9 times 

 in the standard length of nicholsi, and by the included lower jaw, 

 which projects in nicholsi. 



The name cincreus was suggested by the ash-gray color of the upper 

 parts of the specimens. 



Family SERRANIDAE 

 DIPLECTRUM MEXICANUM, new species 



Fir.VKE (J 



Head 2.9 ; depth 3.2 ; D. X, 12 ; A. Ill, 7 ; P. 17 ; scales 6-53. 



Body rather deep (for a Diplcctrtim) , fairly compressed, its greatest 

 thickness only a little greater than half its depth ; dorsal profile anterior 

 to occiput only slightly convex ; caudal peduncle rather strongly 

 compressed, 2.55 in head ; snout pointed, 4.6 ; eye large, 3.6 ; inter- 

 orbital 8.9; preorbital very narrow, narrower than pupil; mouth 

 large, oblique ; lower jaw projecting moderately, its tip well below 

 general dorsal outline of head ; maxillary extending below posterior 

 margin of pupil, 2.2 in head ; teeth in each jaw in a narrow band, 

 some of the outer ones in each jaw enlarged, villi form teeth on 

 vomer and palatines; angle of j)reopercle somewhat produced, with 

 10 or II somewhat enlarged spines, the middle ones not especially 

 large, nor notably more divergent, the vertical limb rather strongly 

 serrate, the horizontal limb mostly smooth ; gill rakers rather robust, 

 those at angle about half length of eye, 12 on lower (including rudi- 

 ments), and 8 on upper liml). of first arch: scales firm, strongly 

 ctenoid, in 6 oblique rows on cheek, larger on opercle, 4 in an oblicjue 

 series below base of opercular spine ; dorsal spines slender, rather 

 high, fourth and fifth spines of about equal length, not quite twice 

 the length of the ninth spine, and a little longer than the highest soft 

 rays, 2.0 in head ; caudal forked, the upper lobe longer than the lower ; 

 anal spines small, graduated, the second scarcely stronger than the 

 third, 5.3 in head; ventral inserted slightly in advance of base of 

 pectoral, with a slender spine contained 2.4 in head ; pectoral reaching 

 well beyond tip of ventral, about to vertical from vent, with a rather 

 symmetrically rounded margin, 1.3 in head, 3.75 in length. 



