I5« 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 
APOGONIDaE. Cardinal fishes. 
In Apogonichthys pomarce Steindachner from the Society Islands (M. C. Z. 9698), the reddish scales 
are much broader than long, length about 4%, breadth about 5X nun.»' general character percoid; 12 to 16 
basal radii; laterobasal corners obtuse; lateral circuli numerous, oblique, running to the margin; apical 
teeth moderate; submarginal elements longer than broad, emarginate basally. Differs at once from 
Lucioperca, Centropristes, etc., by the oblique lateral circuli. The beginning of this obliquity is seen in 
Percichthys. 
SERRANIDiE. Sea basses. (PI. xxxvn, fig. 32.) 
The North American genera examined can be divided into subfamilies as follows: 
Serraninae ( Paralabrax, Centropristes). Apical marginal spines truncate. 
Epinephelinae ( Epinephelus ). Apical marginal spines obtusely pointed, margined. Scales much 
longer than broad. 
Moroninae ( Morone, Roccus ). Apical marginal spines pointed or (adult Morone) minutely bifid at tip. 
Roccus is easily separated from Morone by the very numerous basal radii. 
Another subfamily (Percichthyinae) must be recognized for the freshwater genus Percichthys Girard, 
in which the adult scales are longer than broad, parallel-sided, with the broadly rounded apical margin 
entire, although there is a submarginal ctenoid patch, beset with spines. 
Still another subfamily (Plesiopinae) must contain Plesiops Cuvier, of which I have P. corallicola 
from the Ebon Islands (M. C. Z., 2473). The scale is 7 mm. long and 6% broad, the exposed part covered 
with dark purplish skin. Laterobasal angles obtuse; nucleus in the submarginal apical region, and 
from it radiate about 15 long basal radii; lateral circuli dense, slightly oblique; apical marginal teeth 
slender, more or less obtuse or truncate at end; subapical elements narrow and elongate. This is nearer 
to Centropristes than to any of the other scales cited above. A lateral line scale of P. corallicola is 
curiously different, with the nucleus much further down, and having strong apical as well as basal radii 
Boulenger makes P. corallicola a synonym of P. nigricans (Ruppell). 
Scales of Aulacocephalus schlegelii Gunther (A. temminckii Bleeker) are figured by Sauvage in his 
work on the fishes of Madagascar. They somewhat approach those of Epinephelus. 
Subfamily PERCICHTHYINAE. The truchas. 
My material of this group is from the United States National Museum. 
Per cosoma melanops (Girard). Santiago, Chile; 4I inches long. Scales reddish, about 3 mm. long 
and 2 broad; parallel-sided, with the laterobasal corners more or less projecting downwards; nucleus 
about 2 mm. from base; 6 to 9 basal radii; lateral circuli coarse, somewhat oblique; ctenoid patch 
very variable in size, with long narrow elements, some of which occasionally project as spines 
over the margin. 
Percichthys trucha (Cuvier & Valenciennes). South America; 12X inches long. Scales reddish, the 
larger ones about mm. long and 4^ broad; nucleus about 3 mm. from base; basal margin slightly 
convex, delicately crenate; apical field as in Percosoma. In latinucleate scales there is no ctenoid 
patch, and the widely spaced apical circuli run right across, parallel with the broadly rounded 
margin. 
A young fish, 5X inches long, from Argentina, has scales less than 2 mm. long, but still without 
projecting apical spines. 
Although this fish is closely allied to Percosoma, the latter is readily separated by the long and 
narrow scales. 
Percichthys chilensis { Girard). Santiago, Chile; 7^ inches long. Boulenger makes this a synonym of 
P. trucha, and the scales seem the same, though the basal radii may average somewhat less. 
