EEVIEW OF THE SEERANID.E. 
333 
Subfamily IL-EPINEPHELIN5;. 
{Serranidce with the dorsal flu coutiuuous, the dorsal aud anal spines developed, 
and witli a supplemental bone to the maxillary.) 
a. Soft dorsal with 10 to 12 rays; teeth all villiforui, without canines. 
b. Head armed with rough spinigerons crests, there being spinous projections above the eyes and a 
rough, bony ridge on the opercle, with others on the ])ost-temporal ; dorsal 
tin low, continuous; tongue with teeth; dorsal spiues 11 or 12; soft dorsal 
scaly; caudal rouuded ; pyloric coeca numerous (about 70) Polypkion, 2. 
bb. Head not armed with spiuigerous ridges; preopercle moderately serrate, sometimes becoming 
entire with age. 
c. Dorsal fin deeply notched, the last spiues much shorter than the middle ones; scales rugose; 
soft dorsal scaly; dorsal spiues 11 ; tongue toothless; forehead broad, flat- 
fish; snout, preorbital, aud jaws naked ; caudal subtruncate ; preopercle finely 
serrate, becoming entire with age; gill-rakers very strong; pyloric caeca few 
(about?) Stekeolepis, 3. 
cc. Dorsal fin low, its outline uot deeply notched ; scales small, ctenoid ; soft dorsal naked ; dorsal 
spines 10; forehead l>road, concave near the orbital ridges, then transversely 
convex; preopercle siibrectaugular, with tine serrm above, larger, radiating teeth 
on angle, aud many small teeth directed downward on lower limb ; snout, xire- 
orbital and jaws densely scaly; eyes very large; preorbital very narrow; caudal 
lunate, with rotmded angles; gill-rakers long and slender; lateral line 
black Hemilutjanus, 4. 
aa. Soft dorsal, with 13 to 20 rays; head unarmed, except for the opercular spines aud the serrm on the 
|)reopercle; soft dorsal scaly; scales of lateral line usually triangular aud cy- 
cloid. 
d. Preopercle with one or more large, conspicuous, hook-like teeth, directed downward and for- 
wai'd, on its lower limb. 
e. Dorsal spi nes, 8 ; plectroid spiue on preopercle single, very strong ; a strong canine on middle 
of side of lower jaw; opercle with .a long, knife-shaped spine; body rather 
deej); lateral line running high; jaws naked; scales small, firm, aud rough; 
caudal rounded ; soft dorsal rather short, of 12 to 13 rays . . Gonioplectkus, 5. 
ee. Dorsal spines, 10 ; plectroid spiues on preopercle two to four, rather small ; a stout canine 
on middle of side of lower jaw ; opercle with small spiues; jaws naked; scales 
rather large; soft dorsal long, with 17 to 20 rays; caudal rounded.. Gilbertia, fi. 
«ee. Dorsal spiues, 13(12 to 14); plectroid spines two or three in number; usually oue or 
more strong canines present on side of lower jaw; body short and deep 
Acantiiistius, 7. 
eeee. Dorsal spiues, 11 ; plectroid spine on preopercle single ; no lateral canine in lower jaw; 
(otherwise ;is in EplnepheJus) Alphestes, 8. 
dd. Preopercle without distinct autrorse spiuous hooks ou its lower limb; sides of lower jaw 
without distinct canines. 
/. Dorsal spines, 11 (10 in one species Epinepbelus'). 
g. Scales, some or all of them, more or less ctenoid; canines distinct, in front of oue or both 
jaws; body oblong or elongate, not greatly compressed, the interorbital width 
more than twice diameter of the eye, in the adult; preopercle finely serrate. 
h. Anal fin short, its rays III, 8, or III, 9 ; cranium with the median crest much more de- 
veloped than lateral crests, which do uot extend as far forward as the former 
and are not parallel with them ; scales nearly all ctenoid; spines strong. 
i. Scales of the lateral line normal, not marked by radiating ridges. . . Epinephelus, 9. 
ii. Scales of the lateral line each with 4 to 6 strong radiating ridges; cranium short, 
extremely broad, and dei)re8sed between the eyes ; the anterior profile of head 
a little concave ; dorsal spines low ; dorsal rays XI, 16 Promicrops, 10. 
