3i8 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



coeca few. Vertebrse usually lo + 14 = 24. Intestinal canal 

 short. Cranium with muciferous system moderately developed 

 or rudimentary. No suborbital stay. Body covered with mod- 

 erate-sized adherent scales, more or less strongly ctenoid or 

 almoiSt cycloid. Lateral line well developed, concurrent with 

 back, usually not extending on caudal fin. Sides of head usually 

 scaly. Dorsal fin single, continuous or deeply notched, sometimes 

 divided into 2 fins, spines usually strong, depressible in a groove. 

 Dorsal spines heteracanthous, usually X to XII in number. Anal 

 fin similar to rayed dorsal, with III spines. Caudal usually more 

 or less concave behind. Ventrals I, 5, thoracic, with a more or 

 less distinct scale-like basal appendage. 



Carnivorous fishes of warm seas mostly valued as food. Sev- 

 eral species recorded from our shores. 



Key to the genera. 



a. Mouth more or less wide, jaws scarlet posteriorly in life; rayed dorsal, 



anal and caudal densely scaled to their tips. h^mulon 

 aa. Mouth more or less narrow, not scarlet inside. 



&. Anal short. III, 7 to III, 10. anisotremus 



hh. Anal long, III, 10 to III, 13. orthopristis 



Genus H^mui^on Cuvier. 



The Grunts. 

 Hdemulon plumieri (Lacepede). 



PI.ATE 55- 

 Squirrel Fish. Grunt. 



Distinguished from the other species found on our coast by 

 the rayed vertical fins densely scaled to their margins. 



Known from an example recorded by Dr. Abbott from Dela- 

 ware Bay, taken in July, 1867. However, as the above ver- 

 nacular is more properly affiliated with Diplectrum forniosiim 

 (Linnaeus), one of the SerranidcE, together with the fact that 

 Perca formosa Einnseus has been partly confused with the present 



