456 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. . "57. 



19. EPINEPHELUS MOARA (Temminck and Schlegel). 

 MOARA (kelp-bass). 



Serranus moara Temminck and Schlegel, Faun. Japon., Pise, 1842, p. 10, 

 pi. 4, fig. 2 (Nagasaki). — Gunther, Cat. Fishes, vol. 1, 1859, p. 133 (after 

 Temminck and Schlegel).— Namiye, Class. Cat., 1881, p. 93 (Tokyo). 



Epinephelus moara Jordan and Seale, Proc. Davenport Acad., vol. 10, 1905, 

 p. 9, pi. 5 (Hongkong). — Jordan and Richardson, Mem. Carnegie Museum, 

 vol. 4, 1909, p. 183 (Takao, Formosa). 



Epinephelus nebulosus (part) Boulenger, Cat. Fishes, vol. 1, 1895, p. 240 (Japan). 

 (Not Serranus nebulosus of Cuvier and Valenciennes or of Bleaker.) 



(Coasts of southern Japan and China.) 



Head 2.25; depth 3.5; eye 6.8 in head, 3.4 in maxihary; dorsal 

 XI, 14 or 15; anal III, 8; scales 12-100 to 105-40; nose 4.2 in head; 

 maxillary extending more than half width of eye behind orbit, 2.12 

 in head, 1 in pectoral; interorbital space nearly flat, very slightly 

 convex, 1.4 in eye. Form slender, back little elevated, width of 

 body 2 in its greatest depth; profile long, straightish, muzzle sharp; 

 lower jaw projecting width of lip. Teeth in sides of lower jaws in 

 two rows; canines moderate; posterior nostril scarcely enlarged; 

 preopercle with the angle strongly salient, furnished with several 

 obscure points in specimens 14 to 20 inches, with 2 or 3 conspicuous 

 points in young individuals; lower opercular spine a little nearer 

 middle than is upper; gill-rakers 10 + 4 or 5 rudiments. Top of 

 head, suborbitals, maxillary, and lower jaw with small embedded 

 scales; scales on cheeks and opercles larger. Dorsal originating 

 slightly in front of origin of pectoral; longest dorsal spine 3.3 in 

 head; height of longest soft ray 1.5 in length of base of soft fin; 

 caudal rounded; pectoral 2.15 in head; ventral 2. 



Color in spirits reddish brown; back and sides crossed by 6 broad 

 obliquely transverse bars of dusky, the first one crossing in front of 

 spinous dorsal, the second to fifth bars abutting on dorsal fin and 

 thence extending obliquely downward and forward, the sixth bar 

 crossing the caudal peduncle; each bar about 2^ times width of eye; 

 one or more, sometimes all, bars may be broken up by lighter areas 

 within them, or bars may present irregular branchings below the 

 lateral line, giving the fish a marbled appearance; the four middle 

 bars may extend into the dorsal fin for about half its height ; several 

 narrow bars crossing opercle and cheek, converging toward eye; 

 soft dorsal, caudal, and anal narrowly but plainly white-edged; 

 ventrals dusky, with obscure white edges; pectorals plain, with 

 some dusky toward base. 



We have ten specimens of this species, one 20 inches long, from 

 Nagasaki; one 13 inches, and two 6 to 8 inches, from Wakanoura; 

 three 2 to 3 inches and three 8 to 12 inches, from Alisaki. It was 

 also seen at Hakata. It is not one of the common species, 



(wo, a sea- weed or kelp; ara, bass.) 



