White Perch — Part 3

Morone americana (Gmelin)

Images coming soon.

Head 2 1/2; depth 2 4/5; eye 5 1/2; D. IX, 14 or 15; A. III, 8; scales 8-85 to 95-30, about 50 to 55 pores. Body oblong, rather deep and compressed, its width 2 1/4 in its greatest depth; head moderate, a little acute anteriorly, the profile nearly straight from snout to nape, where it is rather convex; mouth rather large, maxillary extending some-what beyond eye, 1 7/8 in head; lower jaw not strongly projecting; teeth in narrow bands, the depressible teeth of the inner series very long and slender, longer than in any other of our species, those of the lower jaw and front of upper especially enlarged, longer than the small, subequal canines; interorbital space narrow, with a median depression, its width 7 in head; preopercle convex, very weakly serrate; opercle with 3 distinct spines; nostrils small, subequal; scales rather large, mostly strongly ctenoid; dorsal spines slender and pungent, the fourth and fifth highest, 3 2/5 in head; caudal very convex, the middle rays longest; anal rounded.

Colour in life, livid reddish gray, paler below; spots vermilion, usually darker posteriorly, larger anteriorly.

The brown hind may be merely a colour variety of the cony.

GENUS EPINEPHELUS BLOCH

The Groupers

This is one of the most important genera of American fishes.

Body stout, compressed, covered with small, ctenoid scales which are often embedded in the skin; scales of lateral line triangular, cycloid; soft parts of vertical fins generally more or less scaly; cranium narrow above; preopercle moderately serrate behind, its lower limb entire, without distinct antrorse spine; opercle with 2 strong spines; nostrils well separated; mouth large; maxillary large, with a well-developed supplemental bone, its surface usually with small scales; canine teeth few, those in front large; enlarged teeth of inner series in each jaw depressible; gill-rakers short and rather few; caudal fin rounded or lunate; pectorals rounded, shortish; ventrals moderate, inserted below pectorals, close together, each with a strong spine.

Species numerous, most of them of large size, abounding in all tropical seas, and all highly valued as food. The species all possess some game qualities, and, on account of their large size and fighting qualities, afford real sport in their capture. In our waters about a dozen species are known.

a. Nostrils unequal, the posterior much the larger, 3 times diameter of anterior; pyloric coeca numerous...........mystacinus, 382

aa. Nostrils subequal, the posterior scarcely the larger; pyloric coeca fewer.

b. Second dorsal spine shorter than third or fourth; caudal more or less rounded.

c. Dorsal spines 10.................analogus

cc. Dorsal spines 11.

d. Maxillary naked.

e. Lower jaw strongly projecting.

f. Body and head with red or orange spots..........adscensionis

ff. Body and head reddish brown, the adult nearly plain..guaza

ee. Lower jaw not prominent...............labriformis

dd. Maxillary more or less scaly.

g. Preopercle with a more or less salient angle.

h. Body without orange or dark brown spots; vertical fins without broad black margins.

i. Caudal peduncle without black, saddle-like blotch above. flavolimbatus

ii. Caudal peduncle with a large, quadrate, saddle-like black blotch above.

j. Eye not surrounded by dark points; no dark cross-bars; lower jaw strongly projecting...............niveatus

jj. Eye surrounded by conspicuous dark brown points; body with irregular dark cross-bars; lower jaw little projecting. striatus

hh. Body covered with small dark orange or brown spots; vertical fins broadly edged with blue-black...........guttatus

gg. Preopercle without salient angle.........drummond-hayi

bb. Second dorsal spine elevated, not shorter than third and fourth; caudal lunate.............morio

Epinepbelus mystacinus, the cherna de lo alto, is found among the West Indies and south to Brazil, in rather deep water. It reaches about 2 feet in length, but is not abundant enough to be of much commercial importance. Colour in life, dull olive-brown above, the body grayish brown, crossed by 8 bands of dark olive-brown, the one on caudal peduncle broadest, darkest on back of tail; a dark line along edge of maxillary, and 3 dark bands across cheek; mouth bluish inside. E. analogus, the cabrilla pinta, is a west coast species, known from Panama and San Salvador. It is not rare, reaches a foot or more in length, and in life is orange-brown on an olivaceous ground, as in E. adscensionis, which this species strongly resembles; no distinct dark edgings to the vertical fins.