Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1147 



possibly the type of a valid genus, (dubius, doubtful ; the author being 

 in doubt as to whether the species belongs to Serranus.) 



Si'i-rnitiix ilnJiinK, POEY, Memoriae, n, 142, 1860, Cuba. 

 Mfiti'iilinnts diilnHs, POEY, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y., x, 1869, 50. 



HoiUunux tinliilifi, JORDAN & ElGENMANN, I. C., 380. 



1548. BODIANUS PUNCTIFERUS (Poey). 



Very similar to Bodianus dubius, differing in the more slender body ; 

 the depth 4 in total length ; eye 5 in head, 1 in snout. Red, the blue 

 spots not covering the whole body, those on the head blue and very 

 small ; those on the body forming oblique series of dashes, rather linear 

 than rounded; fins 1-spotted. (Poey.) Cuba. Known from one speci- 

 men, 10 inches long, probably a color variation of Bodianus dubius. (punc- 

 litm, point; fero, I bear.) 



Menejiho-rus pnnctiferns, POEY, Enumeratio, 21, 1875, Havana. 



Subgenus ENNEISTUS,* Jordan & Evermann. 

 1544. BODIANUS ACANTHISTIUS (Gilbert). 



2? ; eye large, equaling length of sno 

 head; interorbital space narrow, convex, 6 in head. D. IX, 17; A. Ill, 

 9; scales 75, 56 pores. Mouth oblique, with mandible strongly projecting, 

 the mandibular canines shutting outside of premaxillaries in closed 

 mouth; maxillary reaching vertical from behind pupil, its length half 

 that of head. Teeth in sides of mandible in 2 perfectly denned series, 

 separated by a narrow groove-like interval ; outer teeth nearly erect and 

 rigid, the inner series directed obliquely inward and very slightly mov- 

 able (not strictly depressible); a patch of smaller movable teeth at sym- 

 physis, with the customary pair of canines in front of them ; premaxillaries 

 with an outer series of strong teeth, terminating anteriorly in the double 

 pair of enlarged canines ; behind this series a wide band of minute villi- 

 form teeth, only slightly movable ; wide bands of similar villiform teeth 

 on vomer and palatines, the vomerine patch without backward prolonga- 

 tion along median line; tongue smooth; nostrils close together, the 

 posterior round and much the larger, the anterior with a flap. Preopercle 

 minutely serrulate on hinder margin, which is convexly rounded; a shal- 

 low notch above the angle, which is provided with 2 or 3 irregular lobes, 

 coarsely toothed; lower margin smooth, entire. Gill rakers long and 

 strong, 17 below angle, the anterior short; opercle with 3 flat spinous 

 points. Scales with entire edges, those on opercles and on middle of sides 

 the largest, smaller above lateral line and along ventral outline, becom- 

 ing much reduced on breast and head (except opercles). Mandible with 

 a few embedded scales, maxillary and premaxillary wholly naked; top 

 and sides of head wholly scaled, including both limbs of preopercle and 



*This subgenus seems close to Bodiami*, from which it differs in its smooth scales, naked 

 maxillary, and elevated spinous dorsal, which is deeply notched as in Paralabrax. The charac- 

 ter of the cranium has not been indicated in the single known species, but Dr. Boulenger is 

 probably right in placing it with the group here called Bodiantu. 



