THIRTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT H;; 



carried into the sunlight the fishes sulk upon the hottom, display- 

 ing, in addition to the black dorsal and tail, large irregular and 

 very dark vertical blotches. 



The customary swimming or njid-tank phase is shown in ( fig. 

 I, plate 6). The phase with black fin and tail is represented in 

 fig. 2 of the same plate. It is also shown in American Food and 

 Game Fishes, plate opposite page 430. The small cut. fig. i, 

 plate 7, shows the mottled phase. The last is usually maintained 

 as long as the specimen is kept in the small photographic tank, 

 but sometimes disappears for a few moments. 



Red-]\Iouthed Grunt, (Haemulon fiavoliiieatiim). r)rdinarv 

 coloration in mid-tank. Uniform pale golden yellow, with nar- 

 row silvery stripes. 



Coloration when alarmed : The whole school bunches together 

 at the bottom, all immediately assuming a dark-mottled appear- 

 ance, the ground color becoming so dark that the fish is com- 

 pletely changed. The dark blotches disappear at once when the 

 disturbance ceases, the specimens, one after another, assuming 

 their ordinary coloration, with, however, two lengthwise very 

 dark bands, one extending straight from the snout through the 

 eye to the tail, the other curved upward from the forehead to the 

 end of the soft dorsal. These conspicuous bands show at inter- 

 vals until the excitement caused by disturbing the fishes dies 

 down. 



When specimens are placed in the photographic tank a fourth 

 phase, entirely dark, is assumed and retained. This is shown 

 in the left figure of plate 7, while the phase with two longitudinal 

 bands is shown in the right figure of the same plate. When these 

 two specimens were placed in the photographic tank, both in- 

 stantly assumed and retained the dark unmottled phase. The 

 striped phase of the fish at the right was produced by touching 

 it repeatedly with a stick. 



Prixcess RocKFiSH, {Mycteroperca bozcersi).'^ Three phases: 

 Bright-red phase : Pale red ground color w-ith bright-red spots 

 everywhere. Pectorals yellow, all other fins with black edges. 

 A slight plumbeous mottling, making the upper surfaces darker 

 than under. When this occurs — usually when the fish is in mid- 

 tank and over gravel bottom — the plumbeous blotches become 

 red along base of the dorsal and top of tail. 



Dark-red phase : Usually assumed when the fish rests against 

 the dark tank walls, the paleness of color deepens quickly to 



* The identification of these specimens is not yet certain. 



