The Roncos or Grunts 



GENUS H/EMULON CUJ/IER 



The Roncos or Grunts 



Body oblong, usually more or less elevated and compressed; 

 mouth wide, the maxillary long and curved, reaching below eye; 

 lower jaw included; chin with a central groove; teeth of jaws coni- 

 cal, the outer series stronger and curved; lips and inside of mouth 

 posteriorly usually bright red or scarlet in life; preopercle serrate, no 

 recurved hooks below; soft parts of vertical fins completely scaled; 

 dorsal spines 12 or n; second anal spine enlarged, generally larger 

 and longer than the third; caudal forked. 



This genus has many species, all American. All have more or 

 less red or orange inside the mouth, the amount of redness being 

 greatest in those species with the largest mouths. Nearly all the spe- 

 cies, when young, have 2 or more more or less sharply defined dark 

 longitudinal stripes along the side, i or more along top of head, and 

 a dark spot at base of caudal. In a few species these markings per- 

 sist through life. 



All of the species are valued as food, some of them being among 

 our most important fishes. 



a. Scales below lateral line anteriorly not especially enlarged. 



b. Scales above lateral line anteriorly not much enlarged. 



c. Maxillary 2\ to 2| in head, not reaching centre of eye in adult. 



d. Back and sides without yellow or blue stripes. 



e. Seven or 8 rows of scales in vertical series from first dorsal spine to 



lateral line. 



/. Mouth rather small, maxillary scarcely reaching eye. 



g. Side with about 6 dark vertical bars sexfasciatum, 422 



gg. Side without dark vertical bars album, 422 



ff. Mouth rather large, maxillary reaching pupil. . .macrostomum, 423 



ee. Five or 6 rows of scales in a vertical series from first dorsal spine to 

 lateral line. 



h. Series of scales from scapular scale extending backward to front of 

 soft dorsal bonariense, 424 



hh. Series of scales from scapular scale not extending farther back- 

 ward than mjddle of spinous dorsal. 



i. Depth of body about 2f in length; pectoral fin short, less than f 

 length of head v parra, 424 



ii. Depth of body 2\ in length; pectoral fin long, more than \ length 

 of head scudderi, 425 



dd. Back and sides with distinct horizontal yellow stripes. 



carbonarium, 425 



421 



