The Sea-bass 



i. Frontal bone of skull with a transverse ridge on posterior part. 



Petrometopon, 380 

 it. Frontal bone of skull without transverse ridge. 



/. Dorsal spines 9 , Centropholis. 



jj. Dorsal spines 1 1, rarely 10 but never 9. 



h. Parietal crests not produced forward on the frontals. 



/. Scales of lateral line normal, marked by radiating ridges. 



m. Cranium narrow above the interorbital space and deeply concave; 



occipital crest meeting interorbital region .... Epiiicpheliis, 381 

 mm. Cranium very broad and flat above, the interorbital little concave, 



the occipital crest disappearing before reaching the interorbital 



region Garnipa, 386 



//. Scales of lateral line each with 4 to 6 strong, radiating ridges. 



Proiiiicrops, 387 

 kk. Parietal crests produced forward on the frontals. 

 n. Frontals with a process or knob on each side behind the interorbital 



area; anal rays 111, 8, rarely 111, 9. 

 0. Preopercle with a single antrorse hook or spine near the angle. 



Alphcstes, 388 



00. Preopercle without antrorse spine Deniiatolepis, 389 



nn. Frontals without processes on the uppei' surface; anal rays 111, 11 



or 12, very rarely III, 9 or 10 Mycteroperca, 



cc. Maxillary without supplemental bone. 



p. Gill-rakers comparatively short and wide apart; lateral line not 



running close to the back (except in Serraiius). 

 q. Ventral fins inserted below or more or less behind axil of pectoral. 

 r. Dorsal fin with 4 or 5 spines produced in long filaments. 



Ci'ii fill IIS, 39 s 

 rr. Dorsal without long filamentous spines, not more than one of the 



spines especially produced. 

 s. Body short and deep, the back elevated, the depth more than f the 



length; preopercle with a fev»' antrorse serrae on its lower limb. 



/-/ypoplecfrus, 393 

 55. Body comparatively elongate, the depth | to J the length; no 



hooked spinules on lower limb of opercle Paralabrax, 395 



qq. Ventral fins anterior, inserted more or less in advance of axil of 



pectoral. 

 /. Smooth area on top of head very short and small, as seen on remov- 

 ing skin; caudal fin not lunate, but rounded or ending in 3 



points Ceiitropristes, 397 



//. Smooth area on top of head very large; caudal fin lunate or 



truncate Diplectrum, 598 



pp. Gill-rakers very long, slender, and close-set; lateral line running 



close to back Parantljias. 



371 



