REVIEW OF THE SERRANIDiE. 
393 
Habitat. — Gulf of Mexico, north to Pensacola. 
Etymology. — ^Qxuq, swift; obpd^ tail. 
The specimens examined by us are from Pensacola, Fla. This species is very 
closely related to C. striatus, from which it differs in coloration, and in the great elonga- 
tion of the dorsal and caudal rays. These characters are, however, little marked in the 
young. The species is scarce in the Gulf, all the known specimens having been pro 
cured in deep water by Mr. Silas Stearns. It may prove to be merely a deep-water 
variety of G. striatus. 
74. CENTROPRISTIS PHILADELPHICUS. 
Perea iihiladelpliiea Liunasus, Syst. Nat., Ed. X, 291, 1758 (America) ; Liniimus, Syst. Nat., Ed. xii, 484, 
1766; Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1314, 1788 (copied). 
Serranus pMladelphicus Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mns., 600, 1882 (Charleston Harbor) ; Jordan, 
Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 39, 1884; Jordan, Cat. Fish. N. Am., 82, 1885. 
Perea trifurea LiuuiBus, Syst. Nat., Ed. XII, 489, 1766 (Carolina); Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1322, 1788 (Caro- 
lina.) 
Centropristis trifurea Dekay, Report New York Fauna, Fish., 25, 1842 (South Carolina); Storer, Synopsis, 
287, 1846 (South Carolina). 
Centropristis trifurcus Holbrook, Ichth. S. Carolina, 49, 1860, pi. 7, flg. 1 (Charleston). 
AntMas trifurcus Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., I, 91, 1859 (copied). 
Serranus trifurcus JordsLU & Gilbert, Synopsis Fish. N. Am., 534, 1883; Goode, Nat. Hist. Aquat. An., 
410, 1886 (Charleston). 
Lutjanus tridens, Lacdi)ede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., IV, 246, 1802 (Carolina). 
Centropristis tridois Cuv. & Val., Hist. Nat. Poiss., Ill, 43, 1829 (Carolina). 
Habitat. — South Atlantic coast of United States (not known from the Gulf of Mex- 
ico, all the references from that region belonging to Centropristes ocyurus). 
Etymology. — Philadelphicus, from the city of Philadelphia, where the species is not 
found. 
This species, like its relative, C. ocyurus, inhabits rather deep water, and is conse- 
quently less frequently seen than the common Sea-bass. Our specimens are from 
Charleston, S. C. 
Genus XVIII.— ORATINUS. 
Cratimis Steindachner, Ichthyol. Beitriige, VII, 19, 1878 {agassizii). 
Ta^pe. — Gratinus agassizii Steindachner. 
Etymology. — Name unexplained; perhaps a diminutive of crates, a bundle of rods. 
This genus is related to Paralabrax and Prionodes, dilFering in the form of the 
head and in the jirolongation of most of its dorsal spines, which are attenuated into 
filaments, without dermal appendage. One species is known, a fish with a very 
peculiar physiognomy. 
AXALYSIS OF SPECIES OF GRATINUS. 
a. Body subfusiform, moderately compressed, the head long and low, the anterior profile gently 
curved ; snout very long, 2f in head ; eye moderate, 7 to 8 in head; head mostly scaled above 
and on sides ; the scales on preorbital and cheeks very small and close set ; jaws naked ; iu- 
teropercle scaly; preorhital very deep, its least depth 5 to 6 in head; mouth verj' large, the 
maxillary 2^ in head, reaching middle of pupil ; lower jaw much projecting; teeth moderate; 
nostrils oval, subequal, near together; opercular spines obscure; scales on opercles large, 
their bases covered with small scales; preopercle finely serrate on the rounded posterior limb 
