1150 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



dd. Lower jaw not prominent. Preopercle without salient angle, the seme at 

 the angle scarcely enlarged; caudal fin rounded; scales of body smooth- 

 is!]; lower jaw not prominent; eye not surrounded by dark points; body 

 without traces of longitudinal darker stripes; caudal peduncle with a 

 large, quadrate black blotch above (sometimes obsolete in young or In 

 very old examples) ; color (in spirits) dark brown, with scattered roundish 

 blotches of pale bluish, these most distinct on breast and lower parts of 

 head; fins pale, spotted like the body, their edges darker; young with 

 large round, whitish spots, regularly arranged. LABRIFORMIS, 1549. 



cc. Maxillary more or less scaly. 



/. Preopercle with a more or less distinct salient angle, which is armed with larger 



teeth (these teeth occasionally undeveloped in E. slrialus, which species 



may be known by the presence of black points around the eyes). 



g. Body without orange or dark-brown spots, the spots (if any) brownish or 



pearly, diffuse or irregular; vertical fins without broad black margin. 



h. Caudal peduncle without black, saddle-like blotch above. Caudal 



fin truncate or emarginate when spread open, not convex behind; 



maxillary usually more or less scaly; vertical fins without broad 



edging of black; dorsal fin, or a part of it, distinctly edged 



with bright yellow; color of body uniform reddish brown, a 



clear blue streak from eye to angle of preorbital; a faint dark 



mustache; no black spots anywhere; whole dorsal with a bright 



yellow edging; anal and caudal without pale edging; caudal 



slightly lunate; maxillary scaly; dorsal rays XI, 14; lower jaw 



strongly projecting (as in Epinephelus niveatus, with which this 



species seems to agree very closely in all respects except the 



COlor). FLAVOLIMBATUS, 1550. 



hh. Caudal peduncle with a large quadrate saddle-like black blotch above 



(sometimes wanting in E. niveatus, especially in the young). 



i. Eye not surrounded by dark points ; sides brown, marked with large 



blotches of steel blue, these more or less regularly arranged 



and not distinct on the breast; no dark crossbars; lower jaw 



strongly projecting; caudal fin subtruncate, its angles rather 



acute; pyloric caeca rather numerous. NIVEATUS, 1551. 



ii. Eye surrounded by conspicuous dark-brown points; body with 



irregular dark cross bars; angle of preopercle little salient; 



third dorsal spine highest, 2% in head; scales moderate, about 



100; caudal rounded; lower jaw little projecting; vertical fins 



in life broadly edged with yellow. STRIATUS, 1552. 



gg. Body covered with small dark orange or brown spots; lower jaw not 



prominent; interorbital space very narrow, not half diameter of eye. 



Vertical fins broadly edged with blue black, their bases unspotted; 



body without pale spots, the orange spots -rather small; body rather 



slender; size small. MACULOSUS, 1553. 



ff. Preopercle without salient angle; body, head, and fins dark reddish brown, 



profusely covered with small pearly-white stellate spots; body robust; lower 



jaw projecting; caudal subtruncate, with sharp angles. 



DRUMMOND-HAYI, 1554. 



aa. Second dorsal spine elevated, not lower than third or fourth; caudal fin lunate; preoper- 

 cular angle little salient, without enlarged teeth ; interorbital width 7% in head; 

 color brown, clouded with whitish ; lower parts flushed with orange red; small dark 

 spots about eye; vertical ftns broadly edged with blue black. MORIO, 1555. 



