SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 277 



1902, and fully 150 were collected in the summer of 1903, at Bird Shoal and Uncle 

 Israel Shoal; only the young were noted. 



The red grouper is an important food fish at Key West, in the Gulf of Mexico, 

 and southward, attaining a length of 3 feet; but in North Carolina it does not 

 occur in sufficient abundance nor is it of large enough size to have any economic 

 value. 



Genus MYCTEROPERCA Gill. Groupers. 



This genus contains many species of tropical marine food-fishes, mostly of 

 large size, similar to Epinephelus but differing in cranial characters and in having 

 a longer anal fin, longer body, larger mouth, etc. Head broad and concave 

 between eyes, with strong lateral crests which extend forward to join the supra- 

 ocular crest above eyes; lower jaw strongly projecting; scales chiefly cycloid; 

 gill-rakers various; nostrils small, of equal size or with posterior pair enlarged. 

 More than 20 American species, of which 6 are known from our south Atlantic 

 coast. Three, as follows, occur as stragglers in North Carolina: 



i. Angle of preopercle salient, with enlarged teeth; developed gill-rakers on lower arn> of first 

 arch about 12; scales in lateral series about 140; caudal margin rather strongly con- 

 cave microlepis. 



ii. Angle of preopercle not salient, the teeth scarcely enlarged. , 



a. Developed gill-rakers on lower arm of first arch about 8; scales in lateral series about 125; 



caudal margin slightly concave venenosa. 



aa. Developed gill-rakers on lower arm of first arch about 10; scales in lateral series about 

 110; caudal margin straight bonaci. 



{Mycteroperca, nostril perch.) 



242. MYCTEROPERCA MICROLEPIS (Goode & Bean). 



Gag. 



Trisotropis microlepis Goode & Bean, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, 1879, 141; west Florida. 

 Mycteroperca tnicrolepis, Jenkins, 1885, 11; Beaufort harbor. Jordan, 1886, 27; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887, 90; 

 Beaufort iiarbor. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1177, pi. clxxxviii, fig. 494. 



Fig. 122. Gag. Mycteroperca microlepis. 



Diagnosis. — Body rather long, compressed, depth contained 3.5 times in total length; 

 head long, pointed, contained 2.6 times in length; mouth large, maxillary reaching beyond 

 eye; teeth in narrow bands, 2 canines in front of each jaw, the lower smaller; scales in lateral 

 series HO to 145, in transverse series 75 to 85; gill-rakers on lower arm of first arch about 12; 

 dorsal rays xi,16 to xi,19, spines slender, third and fourth spines longest; anal rays in, 11; 



