Jordan and Mvermann. Fishes of North America. 1175 



mouth rather large, the maxillary reaching slightly beyond eye, 2 in 

 head (in young), proportionately longer in adult; maxillary with cycloid 

 scales. Teeth in rather narrow bands ; two rather strong canines directed 

 little forward in front of each jaw. Interorbital space slightly convex, 

 its width 6 in head. Preopercle forming a regular curve without salient 

 angle, the emargination near the angle very slight. Nostrils small, 

 roundish, subequal ; not very close together. Gill rakers few and long, 

 10 to 12 besides rudiments on lower part of anterior arch. Scales rather 

 small, chiefly cycloid; dorsal spines comparatively slender and weak, the 

 outline of the fin gently convex ; the tenth spine about as long as second; 

 third and fourth spines longest, 3& in head ; caudal fin truncate when 

 spread open, its outer rays a very little produced, If in head ; anal rather 

 high and rounded, its longest rays 2J in head ; pectoral reaching slightly 

 beyond tips of ventrals, l^V in head. Ventrals short, not reaching vent. 

 Pyloric cteca 15. Color in life, deep orange brown, more olive on the back, 

 clouded above by paler or grayish ; sides and belly marked everywhere 

 by reticulations of pearly gray, which surround roundish or oblong spots 

 of the ground color, the pale streaks being largely horizontal on the sides ; 

 sides of the head similarly marked, the spots smaller, broii/e brown, the 

 reticulations decidedly bluish ; 6 or 7 spots in a straight line between eye 

 and preopercle, the spots having nearly the diameter of the pupil ; spots 

 on the body mostly covering 4 to 6 scales, all of them larger than a scale ; 

 dorsal olive brown, somewhat mottled ; caudal similar to dorsal, narrowly 

 edged with whitish ; anal similar, with 2 or 3 rows of bluish spots, its 

 tips blackish, with a narrow whitish edge ; pectorals olive brown, plain ; 

 ventrals blackish, the rays bluish. Mouth not green, the lips olive, 

 barred with bluish ; iris reddish. Here described from a specimen 11-J 

 inches long, from Key West. A large specimen, about 2| feet in length, 

 seen at Key West, retained the same general coloration, the bronze spots 

 and rivulations being distinct and not smaller than in the young. In 

 spirits the orange brown of the body is replaced by dark brown, and the 

 blue reticulations of the head, by gray ; all the markings become more 

 faint. Length 2 to 3 feet ; maximum weight 50 pounds. West Indies, 

 Pensacola to Brazil ; abundant about Key West, where it is known as 

 Black Grouper, being the only species to which that name is applied. 

 The young are taken along the shore in the seine. The species is equally 

 common at Havana. (Bonaci, the Cuban name for the species.) 



Serranus bonaci, POEY, Memorias, n, 129, 1860, Cuba. 



Serranus brunnem, POEY, Memorias, n, 131, 1860, Havana. 



SemiMiw arard, POEY, Memorias, n, 132, 1860; not of CUVIEB & VALENCIENNES. 



Serranus decimalis, POEY, Memorias, n, 138, 1860, Cuba; specimen with 10 dorsal spines. 



Trisotropis aguaji, POEY, Repertorio, u, 229, 1868, Havana. 



Serranus cyclopomatm, POEY, Memorias, n, 353, 1861. Cuba. 



Serranus latepictus, POKY, Memorias, n, 353, 1861, Cuba. 



Trisotropis bonaci, POEY, Synopsis, 283, 1868. 



Epinephelus bonaci, JORDAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1884, 124; BOULENGER, Cat., i, 265. 



Mycteroperca bonaci, JORDAN & SWAIN, I. c., 1884, 370; JORDAN & EUJENMANN, I. c., 370, 1890. 



Trisolropis brunneus, POEY, Synopsis, 1868, 284; JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 1883, 538. 



