Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1165 



with about four small canines, the canines of the lower jaw scarcely dif- 

 ferentiated ; lower jaw rather weak, little projecting ; interorbital space 

 moderate, convex, its width 6 in head ; preopercle strongly and unequally 

 convex, its upper limb oblique, without notch above the angle; upper 

 limb of preopercle with slender teeth, which regularly increase in size 

 downward, those at the rounded angle strong; below the angle is a 

 strong flattish spine, directed forward and downward, its length 4 in eye; 

 nostrils small, round, close together; scales not very small, mostly 

 cycloid, those on opercles larger than those on body , those on cheeks small ; 

 gill rakers short and stout, their length not more than half pupil, 14 to 

 16 below angle ; dorsal spines rather short, robust, and pungent, the sec- 

 ond higher than the tenth, the fourth and fifth highest, 2i in head, the 

 outline of the fin gently curved ; soft rays about as high as third spine ; 

 caudal convex behind, its angles rounded, its length 1$ in head; anal 

 rather high, posteriorly rounded, its longest soft rays 2 in head; second 

 anal spine longer and stronger than third, 2 in head; pectorals broad, 

 rounded, extending beyond tips of ventral, If in head; ventrals nearly 

 or quite reaching vent. Color in life, dark brownish olive, mottled with 

 darker blotches ; body with some dark orange spots ; vertical fins dark 

 olive, mottled with darker blotches ; lower parts of head yellow ; pec- 

 torals dull olive red, with bluish spots ; ventrals dull olive, edged with 

 darker; some pearly spots on breast and on anal; mustache dark red 

 brown ; the orange spots become brown in spirits. Length about a foot. 

 West Indies; Cuba to Brazil; generally common; the specimen here 

 described from Havana; recorded by Dr. Boulenger from the Falkland 

 Islands; only the original type of Bloch recorded from Africa, (afer, 

 African.) 



Epinephelus afer, BLOCH,* Tchthyologia, pi. 327, 1793, Acara in Guinea; (Coll. Dr. Isert); 



BOULENGEB, Cat., i, 254. 

 Pleclropoma chloropterum, CUVIEB & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., n, 398, 1828, San 



Domingo; Martinique; POET, Memorias Cuba, i, 73, tab. 9, fig. 3, 1851. 

 Pleclropoma monacantfms, MILLER & TBOSCHEL, Schomburgk's Hist. Barbadoes, 665, 1847, Bar- 



badoes ; GUNTHER, Cat., i, 164, 1859. 



fSerranus armatus, OsoRio, Jorn. Sci. Lisboa, 2, HI, 1894, 74; fide BOULENGER. 

 Alphestes afer, BLOCH & SCHNEIDER, Syst. Ichth., 1801, 236; PETERS, Berliner Monatsber., 1865, 



105 (description of BLOCH'S type); JORDAN & SWAIN, I. c., 1884, 396; JORDAN & EIGENMANN, 



I. c., 350, 1890. 

 Prospiims chloropterw, POEY, Synopsis, 289, 1868. 



1559. ALPHESTES MULTIGUTTATUS (Gtlnther). 



Head 2| ; depth 2* ; eye large, 4i in head. D. XI, 18 to 20 ; A. Ill, 9 ; 

 scales 10-75 to 80-36, pores 55 to 62. Body oblong ovate, compressed. 



* According to Professor Peters, who has examined the type of Bloch in the Museum at Berlin, 

 Epinephelns afer of Bloch is, in all respects, identical with Pleclropoma chloropterum, the types of 

 the two having been compared by him. This may be true, in which case the American species 

 should stand as Alphestes afer. It is to be noticed, however, that few species are common to the 

 faunas of Guinea and the West Indies; no one has yet recorded the West Indian species of 

 Alphesles from Africa. Bloch distinctly asserts that his specimen was from Ararii on the coast of 

 Guinea, whence it was sent by Dr. Isert. The figure of Bloch represents a species deeper in 

 body and more uniformly colored than is our species. The American species should perhaps 

 stand as Alphestes chloropterus until its identity with the African one is more clearly shown. On 

 the other hand, it must be admitted that Bloch was often careless as to his statement of locali- 

 ties, and in default of other knowledge, we may accept Peters 's identification as sufficient. 



