FISHES OF NEW YORK ' 535 



The spotted grouper occurs in the West Indies and south to 

 Brazil frequently straying northward in the Gulf Stream as far 

 as Cape Cod. A young specimen was taken many years ago at 

 Newport R. I. and others have been secured in Rhode Island 

 waters. At Woods Hole Mass. according to Dr H. M. Smith, it 

 is not rare. First reported in 1895, when as many as 10 or 12 

 specimens were obtained in the Woods Hole region. In 1897 

 several others were taken in summer and fall; one was caught 

 August 7 in a dredge in Vineyard Sound in 6 fathoms of water 

 and in November several were taken in a fyke net in Great 

 Harbor. All have been of small size (3 inches or less), and most 

 of them have been brought up in lobster pots. Dr Smith also 

 recorded 35 specimens, taken in Katama bay on nine occasions 

 between August 15 and October 26, 1900. 



The example described by Dr Giinther, from South America, 

 under the name Serranus margaritifer w^as 11^ inches 

 long. The colors of his specimen were as follows: 



The ground color is reddish olive, lighter on the belly; on 

 ach side of the body are four series of pearl-colored spots, each 

 occupying the place of five or six scales. The uppermost series 

 reaches from the occiput along the base of the, dorsal fin to the 

 black blotch of the tail, and is composed of eight spots; the 

 second, following the lateral line, of six; the third, from the 

 angle of operculum, of four; and the fourth, from the base of 

 the pectorals, of five. There is a blackish streak behind the 

 maxillary bone. The black blotch on the tail occupies nearly 

 the whole space between the dorsal and caudal fins and between 

 the two lateral lines. The fins are nearly unicolored; a single 

 pearl-colored spot is to be seen on the seventh spine and on the 

 ventral fins; the anal has a whitish edge; ventrals blackish, with 

 whitish lateral margin; pectorals uniform yellowish. 



Genus centropristes Cuvier 

 Body robust, somewhat compressed, covered with rather large 

 ctenoid scales. Mouth large, formed as in Serranus and 

 Paralabrax, the canines small. Tongue smooth. Pre- 

 opercle serrate, the lower teeth somewhat antrorse. Gill rakers 

 rather long and slender. Supraoccipital andparietals with strong 

 crests extending forward to between postfron,tal processes; 

 frontals posteriorly with an angular transverse ridge in front of 



