FISHES OF NEW YORK 533 



iish. It reaches a length of 5 or 6 feet. A single young 



specimen has been taken in deep waters of the Gulf stream by 



the U. S. Fish Commission, but there is no other record from 



America. 



Genus epiivephelus Bloch 



Body, stout, compressed, covered with small, ctenoid scales, 

 which are often somewhat embedded in the skin; scales of the 

 lateral line triangular, cycloid; soft parts of the vertical fins 

 generally more or less scaly. Cranium narrow above. Parietal 

 crests not produced on frontals which are without transverse 

 ridge posteriorly; frontals with a process or knob on each side 

 behind interorbital area; premaxillary processes fitting into a 

 notch or cavity on the anterior end of the frontals. Preopercle 

 moderately serrate behind, its lower limb entire, without dis- 

 tinct antrorse spine; opercle with two strong spines. Nostrils 

 well separated. Mouth large; maxillary large, with a well- 

 developed supplemental bone, its surface usually with small 

 scales. Canine teeth few, large in the front of the. jaws; 

 enlarged teeth of the inner series of each jaw depressible. Gill 

 rakers short and rather few. Dorsal spines usually 11, rarely 

 10, not filamentous, the last ones somewhat shorter than the 

 middle ones. Anal spines three, the second usually the larger; 

 the number of soft rays seven to nine. Caudal fin rounded or 

 lunate. Pyloric caeca few (usually 10-20). Pectorals rounded, 

 shortish, nearly symmetric, of 15 to 20 rays. Ventrals moder- 

 ate, inserted below pectorals, close together, each with a strong 

 :spine. Species very numerous, most of them of large size, 

 abounding in all the tropical seas, where thej' are valuable food 

 fishes. This is the largest and most important genus of the 

 S e r r a n i d a e, and its species are most widely distributed. 



26:) Epinephelus niveatus (Cuv. & Val.) 

 Spotted (frouper; Snowy Grouper 



.^errojiKs iiircdtns Cltvier fc Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss. II, 3S0, 1S28; 



GtNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Miis. I, 130, 1859. 

 ASferr.s jHrnY/ft/vY/frr GrNTHER. op. cit. 131, 18."9. 



.Huporthodiis ftacicaitd(( (iiLL. Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 98, 1801, young, 

 NeAvpoil I{. 1. 



