540 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



torals and ventrals finely mottled, the pectorals with a narrow pale 

 edge. Body ovate, rather slender, the head long and pointed. Lower 

 jaw slightly projecting; maxillary extending nearly to the posterior 

 border of the orbit; four small canines in front of lower jaw. Pre- 

 opercle slightly emarginate, its edge finely serrate. Scales small, those 

 on cheeks, breast, and top of head very small. Caudal rounded; pec. 

 toral fin extending beyond tips of ventrals, to vent; second anal spine 

 rather strong. Head 2|; depth 3. ]:>. XI, 16; A. Ill, 7; Lat. 1. about 80. 

 Florida to the Caribbean Sea; abundant in the West Indies; an excel- 

 lent food-fish. The synonymy of this species is much confused, and the 

 name to be adopted is uncertain. 



i^Perca maculata Blocli, Ichtb. 181, taf. 343, 1797; not HoUcenlrus maculatus Bloch, 

 Ichtb. taf. 242, which is also apparently an Epinephelus : 'i Sparus ailanticus Lac6p. 

 Hist. Nat. Poiss. iv, 158, 1802 (based on Bloch.): 1 Serranus impetiginosus Miiller »feTro- 

 schel, Schomburgk, Excurs. Barbadoet;. 665: ? Serranus maculatus and hnpetiginosus 

 Giiuther, i, 130, 142 : Serranus capreolus Poey, Memorias, ii, 145 : Serranus capreolus 

 Vaillant, Miss. Sci. au Mex. iv, 87.) 



848. £. druBiaaaiond-liayi Goode & Bean. — Hind; John Paiv. 



Color umber brown, everywhere densely covered with white stellate 

 spots except on the lips and belly ; about 40 of these between gill-open- 

 ings and base of caudal ; along the sides the spots often coalesce. Pre- 

 opercle evenly serrate. Eye G^ in head. Caudal truncate or slightly 

 emarginate. Head 2|; depth 2|. 13. XI, 16; A. Ill, 9 ; scales 32-125- 

 57. Gulf coast of United States. {Goode & Bean.) 



(Goode & Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. i, 174, 1878.) 



849. E. morio (Cnv.) Gill. — Bed Grouper. 



Brownish, marbled with ash; salmon color below; soft parts of the 

 vertical fins margined with blue. Body oval, compressed above; pro- 

 file oblique, gently curved; mouth terminal, large, somewhat oblique; 

 maxillary reaching beyond eye. Eye about as long as snout. Head 

 2i ; depth 3. D. XI, 17 ; A. Ill, 9 ; Lat. 1. 106 ; coeca 28. Atlantic coast, 

 chiefly southward. 



{Serranus morio Cnv. & Val. ii,285: Serranus morio Giintber, i, 142: Serranus erythro- 

 gaster Holbrook, Icb. S. C. 1860, 34.) 



850. E. nigritus (Holbrook) Gill. — Black Grouper; Jew-fish. 



Bluish black above, lighter below; no red; no traces of markings on 

 body or fins. Body oblong, thick, tapering backward. Mouth large, 

 very oblique, lower jaw projecting. A sj^ine on the lower limb of the 

 preopercle in front of the angle. Head 2§; depth about 2f. D. X, 15; 



