410 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
This species is known from a single example, dredged in 45 fathoms, at the equator, 
off the coast of Ecuador. 
In form it agrees very closely with Serranus luciopercanus of the Atlantic coast, 
but the coloration is quite different. 
97. SERRANUS LUCIOPERCANUS. 
Serranus luciopercanus Poey, Meiuorias, I, 56, 1851, tab. 9, fig. 1 (Havana) ; Steindacbner, “Verb. 
Zool. Ges. Wien, 1866, 777, tab. 16, f. 1.” 
Centropristis luciopercanus Giinther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., I, 84, 1869 (copied) ; Vaillaut & Bocourt 
Miss. Sci. an Mexique, 1874, PL V, f. 1. 
Menliperca luciopercana Poey, Synop. Pise. Cubens., 281, 1868 (Havana); Poey, Enumeratio, 23, 1875 
(Havana). 
Habitat, — West Indian fauna. 
Etymology. — Luciopercanus, resembling Lucioperca, a synonym of the percoid genus 
Stizostedion. 
Of this species we have seen only the original type, a young specimen sent by 
Poey to the museum at Cambridge. Serranus luciopercanus and its near relative, 
S. stilbostigma, differ somewhat in form from the other species of Prionodes. The snout 
is sharper and the lower jaw unusually prominent. But both these characters are 
subject to intergradations. The snout is very sharp in S. subligarius, and the lower 
jaw in S. psittacinus is almost as long as in S. luciopercanus. For these reasons we 
are unable to recognize Mentiperca as a distinct genus. 
98. SERRANUS SCRIBA. 
(The Sea-perch ; Vaqueta.) 
Perea lineis utrinque septem, etc., Artedi, Genera, 40, 1734. 
Pe7-ca soriba Linuseus, Syst. Nat., Ed. X, 292, 1758 (no locality; and of the eatly copyists). 
Serranus scriha Cuv. & Val., Hist. Nat. Poiss., I, 214, 1828; Gunther, I, 103, 1859 (and of most recent 
writers). 
Perea marina Linnieus, Syst. Nat., Ed. X, 290, in part (based properly on a fish from Norway — Sebastes 
marinus— -the Perea lineis. etc., of Artedi being included in the synonymy). 
Holocentrus faseiatus Bloch, Ichthyol., taf. 240, 1790. 
Holoeentrus mai'oeannus Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 320, 1801 (Morocco). 
Lutjanus seriptura Laedphde, Hist. Nat. Poiss., IV, 229, 1803 (Mediterranean). 
Holoeentrus argus Spinola, Ann. du Mus., X, 372, 1807. 
Serranus papilionaeeus Cuv. & Val., VIII, 471, 1831 (Gorea; Canary Islands) ; Giinther, 1, 114 (copied). 
Habitat. — Mediterranean Sea and neighboring waters, including the Azores and 
Canary Islands. 
Etymology. — Scriha, a writer, from the script-like markings. 
Our specimens of this common species are from Palermo and Venice. 
99. SERRANUS ATRICAUDA. 
Serranus atrieauda Gunther, Ann. Nat. Hist., XIII, 1874, 230 (Mogador, Morocco; Azores; Madeira; 
Teneriffe) ; Hilgendorf, Die Fische der Azoren, 1889, 206 (Azores). 
Habitat. — Ocean northwest of Africa. 
Etymology. — Ater, black ; cauda, tail. 
We know this species from descriptions only. 
