318 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 
coeca few. Vertebre usually 10+ 14==24. Intestinal canal 
short. Cranium with muciferous system moderately developed 
or rudimentary. No suborbital stay. Body covered with mod- 
erate-sized adherent scales, more or less strongly ctenoid or 
almost cycloid. Lateral line well developed, concurrent with 
back, usually not extending on caudal fin. Sides of head usually 
scaly. Dorsal fin single, continuous or deeply notched, sometimes. 
divided into 2 fins, spines usually strong, depressible in a groove. 
Dorsal spines heteracanthous, usually X to XII in number. Anal 
fin similar to rayed dorsal, with III spines. Caudal usually more 
or less concave behind. Ventrals I, 5, thoracic, with a more or 
less distinct scale-like basal appendage. 
Carnivorous fishes of warm seas mostly valued as food. Sev- 
eral species recorded from our shores. 
Key to the genera. 
a. Mouth more or less wide, jaws scarlet posteriorly in life; rayed dorsal, 
anal and caudal densely scaled to their tips. H#MULON 
aa. Mouth more or less narrow, not scarlet inside. 
bs Analsshort, 17 to iL ro: ANISOTREMUS. 
bb. Anal long, III, to to III, 13. ORTHOPRISTIS. 
Genus HaimMuLon Cuvier. 
The Grunts. 
Hzemulon plumieri (Lacépéde). 
PLATE 55. 
Squirrel Fish. Grunt. 
Distinguished from the other species found on our coast by 
the rayed vertical fins densely scaled to their margins. 
Known from an example recorded by Dr. Abbott from Dela- 
ware Bay, taken in July, 1867. However, as the above ver- 
nacular is more properly affiliated with Diplectrum formosum 
(Linnzeus), one of the Serranide, together with the fact that 
Perca formosa Linnzus has been partly confused with the present 
