262 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL. MUSEUM vol.87 



of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries ; A. C. Weed, of the Field Museum of 

 Natural History; and J. R. Norman, of the British Museum. 



Genus RYPTICUS Cuvier 



Rypiicus Cuvier, in Cuvier and Valenciennes, Histoire naturelle des poissons, 



vol. 3, p. 60, 1829 (Anthias saponaceus Bloch and Schneider). 

 Rypticus Cuvier, Le rSgne animal, p. 144, 1829 (Anthias saponaceus Bloch and 



Schneider) . 

 Smecticus Valenciennes, Voyage Venus Ichthyologie, p. 305, 1855 {Rypticus bi- 



color Valenciennes). 

 Promicropterus Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1861, p. 63 {Rypiicus 



maculatus Holbrook). 

 Eleutheradis Cope, Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc, new ser,, vol. 14, p. 467, fig, 3, 



1871 {Eleutheradis coriaceus Cope). 



To the genus Rypticus we refer all those species of serranids ^ that 

 combine the follo%ving characters: Dorsal spines 2 or 3; preopercular 

 spines usually 2 or 3, rarely 1 or 4 ; opercular spines 2 or 3 ; anal rounded, 

 without spines; caudal, dorsal, and pectoral fins rounded; pelvics 1, 5, 

 inserted a little in advance of the insertion of the pectorals; dorsal 

 fin low in front gradually rising posteriorly, the spiny and soft portions 

 not separated as often indicated in descriptions; body oblong, com- 

 pressed, covered with small elongate smooth scales somewhat embed- 

 ded, these scales occurring at least halfway out on all the fins; vertical 

 fins fleshy, the tissue between the rays spongy near their bases ; lateral 

 line present, complete; head scaly; mouth large, oblique, the lower 

 jaw longer almost entering profUe; maxillary with supplemental bone; 

 interorbital narrow; teeth villiform in bands on jaws, vomer, and 

 palatines; gill rakers short, broad, their edges spiny; branchiostegals 7. 

 Other characters somewhat constant for the genus are: Distance from 

 tip of snout to insertion of pelvics 0.8 to 1.1 times in distance from 

 rear edge of eye to origin of dorsal; depth 2.9 to 3.9 times in standard 

 length; head 2.6 to 3.3; diameter of eye 3.7 to 6.0 in head. 



The key and table 1 give the characters that we have foimd most 

 useful in distinguishing the species of Rypticus. 



KEY TO SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OF RYPTICUS 



la. Background darker with light spots or color uniform reddish to brown, num- 

 ber and arrangement of light spots or blotches (sometimes marbled), when 

 present, more or less variable, usually numerous and distinct in young but 

 often fading in adults and sometimes absent altogether in specimens 5 

 inches or longer; young specimens usually have a light narrow band extend- 

 ing backward from eye across side of head and another from tip of snout 

 in middorsal line to origin of dorsal fin, both of which fade on adults; rows 

 of scales crossing lateral line 97 to 130. 



' Jordan, D. S., Classification o( fishes, Stanford Univ. Publ., bid. ser., vol. 3, No. 2, p. 191-192, 1923, 

 transfers all those serranids with a supplemental maxillary bone into the family Eplnephelidae. 



