136 TELEOSTEI: ACANTHOPTERI. XX. 



vomer and palatines ; maxillary broad, not slipping for its whole 

 length beneath the preorbital ; gill rakers stiff, toothed; gills 

 normal ; pseudobranchiae large ; lower pharyngeals separate, with 

 pointed teeth ; gill membranes separate ; B. normally 6 or 7. 

 Preopercle usually serrate ; opercle with flat points or spines. Lat- 

 eral line present, not on the caudal. Dorsal variously developed ; 

 anal shortish, with three spines (these wanting in one genus). V. 

 normal. Tail stout, its fin not deeply forked. Vertebrae usually 

 10 -J- 14 = 24. Intestine short, the stomach caecal, with pyloric 

 appendages. Carnivorous fishes, chiefly of the warm seas, often of 

 large size, most of them valued as food. Genera about 40, species 

 200. This group may be regarded as the most typical among 

 the Percoid fishes, and it is perhaps the one nearest the parent 

 stock from which the others have sprung. (Serran, the French 

 name, from Lat. serra, saw.) 

 a. Anal spines 3; dorsal spines 8 to 14. 



b. Dorsal fins separate, or joined at base only; the rays VII to XI - 1, 12 to 

 14; maxillary without supplemental bone; teeth all villiform, without 

 canines. (Latince.) 

 c. Caudal lunate; tongue with teeth; preopercle without horizontal spine 



or antrorse hooks. 



x. Dorsal fins separate; spines weak; anal rays about III, 12, the 

 spines graduated; lower jaw projecting; base of tongue with 



teeth Roccus, 161. 



xx. Dorsal fins joined; spines strong; anal rays III, 9, the spines 

 not graduated ; jaws subequal; base of tongue toothless. 



MOROSE, 162. 

 bb. Dorsal fin continuous, not deeply notched. 



d. Maxillary without supplemental bone; canine teeth, if present, on 

 sides of jaw as well as in front; no depressible teeth; temporal 

 crests on cranium small; gill rakers rather short; lateral line not 

 very high; dorsal spines X; anal rays III, 7, supraoccipital 

 crest not extending far forward on top of skull, leaving a 

 smooth area before it. (Serranirue.) 



e. Smooth area on top of cranium very short and small, the supra- 

 occipital crest long; C. not lunate, usually ending in 3 points; 

 teeth small ; head naked above ; dorsal rays X, 11. 



CENTROPKISTIS, 163. 



dd. Maxillary with a supplemental bone; canine teeth usually present, 

 in front of jaws; inner teeth of jaws depressible; scales small, 

 firm; head more or less scaly above; supraoccipital crest en- 

 croaching on top of skull, so as to leave no smooth area at vertex ; 

 temporal crests distinct; scales small. (Epinephelince.) 

 f. Dorsal rays about XI, 16; anal rays III, 8; preopercle without 

 antrorse spines; canine teeth in front of both jaws; temporal 

 crests moderate; scales of lateral line simple, without radiat- 

 ing ridges CERNA, 164. 



161. ROCCUS Mitchill. (From vernacular Rock-Fish.) 

 a. Teeth on base of tongue in two patches ; body elongate, little compressed. 

 (Roccus.) 



