BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
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ff. Fronto-occipital crest continued forward along top of head to nearly opposite nostrils; prefrontals with posterior 
area short, excavated above and in front. 
h. Gillrakers long and numerous, about 25; anal rather high, its rays in, 9; pterygoid teeth present (in the adult) in 
a narrow band; caudal fin very deeply forked Ocyurus, 78 
ee. Prefrontals with articular facets developed from simple tubercles and not V-shaped; basi-sphenoid not lobigerous; 
canines small; soft rays of dorsal 10 or 11. 
i. Prefrontals with posterior areas cribriform; pterygoids with a broad patch of teeth (in adult); hyoid bones and 
tongue with teeth; canines very small or obsolete; dorsal spines 12 (or 13) ; soft dorsal and anal somewhat 
scaled; top of head scaled to before middle of eye; gillrakers numerous Rhomboplites, 79 
ii. Prefrontals with posterior areas solid and somewhat tumid; pterygoids, hyoid bone, and tongue toothless; dorsal 
spines 10; soft dorsal and anal scaleless Apsilus 
Etelin.e: 
dd. Interorbital area flat, separated by a transverse line of demarcation from occipital, by which median as well as 
lateral crests are limited; frontals wide in front; tongue and pterygoids toothless; soft rays of dorsal 10 or 11. 
i. Dorsal fin continuous; frontals not cavernous; supraorbital margin crenate; pterotic region much swollen outward 
and with bones thin and jjolished; preorbital moderate; frontals behind with funnel-shaped foramina; soft 
dorsal and anal scaleless; last rays of dorsal and anal produced Aprion 
jj. Dorsal nearly or quite divided into two fins by a deep notch; eye very large; preorbital very narrow. 
k. Frontals not cavernous, simply normally perforate; supraorbital margins crenate; prefrontals behind, with funnel- 
shaped foramina; head naked above and on snout; soft dorsal and anal naked; peritoneum and lining of gill- 
cavity pale; caudal deeply forked; color crimson Etelis, 80 
JfcJfc. Frontals cavernous (like those of Scitenoids), with longitudinal, osseous bars, leaving interspaces in front of 
transverse ridge and on each side near front; supraorbital margins smooth; prefrontals behind with simple 
foramina for olfactory nerves; head scaly above and on jaws and snout; soft dorsal and anal scaly at base; peri- 
toneum and lining of gill-cavity black; caudal lunate. Deep-water species, blackish-purple in color... Verilus 
Denticinje: 
aa. Vomer and palatines toothless; one or both jaws with strong canines; no molars; preopercle entire; dorsal 
continuous. 
1. Dorsal spines 10; scales large", 50 in lateral line, those on cheek in 3 rows; mouth moderate, jaws subequal; fins 
usually with filaments Nemipterus 
Genus 77. NE0M7ENIS Girard. Snappers. 
Body oblong, compressed, back somewhat elevated; headlong, naked above, except for a broad 
oblique band of scales at nape; nostrils normally close together, neither with a tube; mouth large, jaws 
with bands of villiform teeth, besides which is usually an outer series of larger teeth in each jaw, and 
2 to 4 stronger teeth or canines in front of upper jaw; vomer with villiform teeth; villiform teeth on 
palatines; usually one or more patches of teeth on tongue in the adult; no molar teeth; no teeth on 
pterygoids; preopercle without notch or with a shallow' emargination; posterior limb of preopercle 
iinely serrate; gillrakers rather few, shortish; soft rays of dorsal and anal scaly at base; dorsal spines 
10 (rarely 11), continuous with soft rays; caudal lunate or forked; anal rays 7 to 9. Interorbital area 
not flat nor separated from occipital region, median and lateral crests procurrent on it, and frontal 
narrowed forward; fronto-occipital crest ceasing anteriorly far from front of frontal, usually behind 
eye; prefrontal with posterior areas impressed, long and cribriform; parietal crest not confluent with 
orbital rim, but nearly or quite joined anteriorly to fronto-occipital crest (in species examined); 
prefrontals with articular facets arising from diverging V-shaped ridges; basisphenoid with an anterior 
lobiform extension. Vertebrae 10 -)- 14 = 24. 
We follow Jordan & Evermann in separating the American pargos or snappers from the Old World 
genus Lutianus on the following characters, distinctive so far as known: Parietal crest usually confluent 
anteriorly with orbital rim, never joined anteriorly to fronto-occipital crest; top of head naked; a more 
or less isolated band of scales extending obliquely on each side of nape; notch on preopercle for recep- 
tion of knob of interopercle shallow and broad, sometimes obsolete, otherwise essentially as in Lutianus. 
Species very numerous, American; active predatory fishes, highly valued as food. 
Among the food-fishes of Key West and the West Indies no fewer than 15 species belong to this 
genus, while on our Pacific coast are at least 5 more species, and all of them are excellent for food. 
Most of the species reach a good size and are objects of important fisheries. 
а. Soft dorsal normally with 14 rays, rarely with 13. 
б. Anal fin rounded, its middle rays less than half length of head; no black lateral spot. 
c. Developed gillrakers 7 to 9, usually with few rudiments, if any; preorbital deep; caudal lunate. Shallow-water 
species, olivaceous in color, more or less marked by crossbands when young, often with a blue streak along 
preorbital. 
d. Vomerine teeth forming a A or /t\ shaped patch, backward prolongation on median line very short or wanting; 
scales above lateral line in oblique series, which are not throughout parallel with it; body comparatively 
elongate, depth 3 to 3.5 in length, upper and lower canines very strong, lower considerably stronger than in 
other species; mouth very large, vertical fins dusky, size very large. 
