1208 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



South Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States on rocky or sandy 

 shores. Length about a foot, (formosus, handsome.) 



Perca formosa, LINN^US, Syst. Nat, Ed. xn, 488, 1766, Carolina (Coll. Dr. Garden, ; GMELIN, 

 Syst. Nat.. 1322, 1788 (copied), and of the copyists; partly confused with Hiemulon plumieri, 

 to which species some of the early references belong. 



Epinephelus striatus, BLOCK, Ichthyologia, pi. 330, 1793, Jamaica (not Anthias striatus, BLOCH, 

 which is really an Epinephelus.) 



Sen-anus radians, QUOY & GAIMARD, Voy. de 1'Uranie, Poiss., 313, pi. 58, fig. 2, 1824, Monte- 

 video (?); BOULENGER, Cat., i, 295. 



Serranusir radians, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., n, 244, 1828, Montevideo. 



Serranus fascicularis, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., n, 245, pi. 30, 1828, Brazil; 

 also ix, 431, 1833; JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 534, 1883. 



Cenlroprisiis radians, GUNTHER, Cat., I, 83, 1859. 



Centropristis fascicularis, GUNTHER, Cat., i, 83, 1859. 



Dipleclrum fasciculare, HOLBROOK, Ichth. S. Carolina, 35,1860; POKY, Synopsis, 282, 1868. 



Diplectrum radians, POEY, Enumeratio, 23, 1875. 



Serranus formosus, JORDAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1884, 35. 



Dipleclrum fonmosum, JORDAN & EIGENMANN, /. c., 397, pi. 65, 1890. 



511. PRIONODES, Jenyns. 



(SERRANOS.) 



Prionodes, JENYNS, Voyage of the Beagle : Fishes, 40, 1840, (fasciaius). 

 Mentiperca, GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 18C2, 2">0, (luciopercanns). 



Body oblong, moderately compressed, covered with moderate-sized, 

 ctenoid scales. Lateral line normal in direction, not running close to the 

 back. Cranium above with a very large convex smooth area, which is 

 longer than the low supraorbital crest; supraoccipital and parietal crests 

 short, extending to a line connecting borders of the preopercle ; posterior 

 outline of cranium nearly vertical in profile ; mouth large, the maxillary 

 not scaly and without supplemental bone; canines small, lateral; no 

 depressible teeth in jaws ; teeth always present on vomer and palatines.* 

 Gill rakers usually few. Branch iostegals 7. Dorsal with 10 rather slen- 

 der spines, either subequal or one of them much produced ; the fin not 

 deeply notched, the soft portion short, of 11 to 13 rays and nearly or quite 

 destitute of scales ; anal short, with slender spines ; caudal lunate or 

 truncate. Ventrals not very close together, inserted somewhat in advance 

 of pectorals, as in Centroprisles and Diplectrum. Vertebrae 10 -f- 14 = 24. 

 Species of small size, probably all American, closely allied to the Old 

 World genus Serranus, from which they are distinguished by the short, 

 naked, soft dorsal, the anterior insertion of the ventrals, and the smaller 

 teeth. The type of Serranus (Serranus cdbrilla) has the lateral line running 

 very high, following the outline of the back. The subgenus Serranellus 

 (Serranus scriba)iB intermediate, having the long soft dorsal and strong 

 dentition of Serranus, with the lateral line and general appearance of 

 Prionodes, the ventral fins longer and closer together, and inserted much 

 farther back ; the skull is essentially similar in Prionodes, Dules, and 

 Serranus. (irpiuv, saw; tWof, resemblance, from the resemblance to Serranus 

 serra, saw.) 



* Not wanting, as stated by Jenyns, who perhaps Lad an injured or imperfect specimen. 



