86. SERRANID^ EHYPTICUS. 543 



2»9.— RHYPTICUS Cuvicr. 



Soap-fishes. 



■Cuvier, Eegne Anim. ii, 1829: type ^ni/u'as sa^owacews Bloch «fc Schneider.) 



Body oblong ^compressed, covered with small, smooth embedded scales. 

 Mouth oblique, rather large, the lower jaw prominent, the maxillary 

 with a supplemental bone, reaching to or beyond the pui)il ; preorbital 

 rather narrow; no canines; broad bands of villiform teeth on jaws, 

 vomer, and palatines. Preopercle crescent-shaped, without angle or 

 serratures, i^-s margin with spinous teeth above. Opercle with spines. 

 Dorsal fin with two or three low stout spines, sometimes separated by 

 a notch from the soft rays ; anal fin without spine, or with an embedded 

 rudiment; caudal fin rounded behind. Ventrals small. Pectorals short 

 and rounded. Tropical seas. {iJUT.rty.6q^ washing; from the ''soapy" 

 skiu.) 



a. Dorsal spines 2, more or less connected witli tile soft rays. {Promicropterus* Gill.) 



8r'>5. R. inaculatus Holbr. 



Olive brown above, with scattered whitish spots; below pale slate 

 color. Back regularly arched from snout to caudal fin. Mouth large, 

 maxillary extending beyond orbit; lower jaw longer than upper, and 

 projecting much bejoud it in closed mouth. Preopercle with 2 stout 

 spines; opercle with 3. Pectorals rather large. Vertical fins high. 

 Dorsal spines slightly connected with the soft rays. Head 3J; depth 3. 

 D. II, 25 ; A. 15. Xorth Carolina to the West Indies. 



(Holbrook, Ich. S. C. 18C0, 42; Gunther, i, 173.) 



856. K. decoraeiis (Gill) J. & G. 



Brownish, irregularly maculated with light spots about as large as 

 the pui^il, these generally with a blackish centre; the spots are some- 

 times confluent and are most numerous on the sides. Eye equal snout, 

 51 in length of head. Head 3; depth 3^. D. II, 2G; A. 16. Tropical 

 seas; accidental at ^Newport, K. I. {GUI.) 



{Promicropterus decoratus Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1863, 164. 



857. K. pi;uitosus Goode &, Bean. 



Very light brown, with numerous small brown spots; the diameter of 

 the largest, one-third that of eye; these absent on abdomen and throat; 

 traces of light margins to the vertical fins. Upper jaw nearly reaching 



•Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1861, 53: type Ehypticus macuJatus Holbr. 

 (TT/ao, before; /uixpoi, small; Ttrepov, fin.) 



