86. SERRANID^ EPINEPHELUS. 539 



jaw vritli two series of conical teeth, the inner the hirgest and movable ; 

 f omer and i)alatines with verj- small villiform teeth. Preopercle with 

 fine denticulations on its posterior mar;:iu and some coarser ones at the 

 angle. Third and fourth dorsal si)ines highest, the first slightly higher 

 than the second. Color not described. Head 2i-2|; depth 3^. D. 

 XI, 18; A. Ill, 10; L. lat. 145; L. transv. |§. (^Goode & Bean.) 

 Western coast of Florida. 



(Goode & Beau, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. ii, 1879, 141.) 



2T6.— EPBlVEPfllELUS Bloch. 

 Groupers*] Merous. 



(Blocb, Ichtli. 1793; Blocli & Schneider, Syst. Ichtb. 1801,299: iji^e Epinephelus ruher 

 Bloch.) 



Body stout, compressed, covered with small ctenoid scales, which are 

 often somewhat embedded in the skin ; 75-140 in the course of the lat- 

 eral line ; scales of the lateral line triangular, cycloid ; soft parts of the 

 vertical fins generally more or less scalj'. Top of cranium narrow, with 

 the median crest only developed, the lateral keels being obsolete. Pre- 

 opercle moderately serrate behind, its lower limb nearly or quite entire, 

 rarely with an antrorse sjiine; opercle with two strong spines. Mouth 

 large ; maxillary with a well-developed supplemental bone. Canine 

 teeth few, large, in the front of the jaws; enlarged teeth of the inner 

 series of each jaw depressible. Gill-rakers short. Dorsal spines usually 

 9 or 11, not filamentous, the last ones somewhat shorter than the middle 

 ones. Anal spines 3, the second usually the larger ; the number of soft 

 rays 7-9. Caudal fin rounded. Pyloric cceca usually few (usually 10- 

 20). Species very numerous, most of them of large size, abounding 

 in all the tropical seas, where they are among the most valuable food- 

 fishes. {i-cvB<peh)c;, cloudcd ; in allusion to a supposed adipose mem- 

 brane covering the eye.) 



* Dorsal spines 11. 



a. Pyloric coica lesH than 35. (Epinephclus.) 



84^. -E. capreolus (Poey) J. & G.—Cahrilla. 



Brown, everywhere covered with round dark spots regularly i)laced, 

 largest below, smallest near the dorsal fin, those below about as large 

 as the pupil; two larger black spots at base of spinous dorsal, partly on 

 the fin ; a few roundish pale spots on the body ; fins all spotted ; pec- 



*A corruptiou of the Portuguese name, Garrupa. 



