Depth 2-3, length of head 22-31, in length of body. Eye 5-6 in length of head, about equal to interorbital width and less than snout. Teeth in 2-3 series on side of mandible; canines moderate. Preopercle finely serrated, serrae scarcely enlarged at angle. Gill-rakers 9-10 plus several rudiments on lower part of anterior arch. D IX 15-16, 3rd spine longest, length of head. A III 9, 2nd and 3rd spines equal. Ventrals not reaching vent. Caudal rounded. Scales 8-10 40-45

ctenoid, except on head: 1.r. 105–115; l.tr.

Length.-Up to 410 mm.

; 1.1. 50-60.

Colour.-Orange or red, with blue, black-edged spots; unpaired fins spotted; pectoral orange at base, shading off into golden; ventrals crimson, with upper edge blue.

Locality.-Natal coast.

Distribution.-Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.

The specimen, doubtfully identified by Gilchrist and Thompson as melas Peters, proves to belong to this species. The description is erroneous in several points, though there is no doubt that the specimen. I have examined is the identical one described by these authors.

Epinephelus flavocaeruleus (Lacep.).

Yellow and Blue Rock-cod.

1802. Lacépède, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol. iv, p. 367. 1878-88. Day, Fish. India, p. 15, pl. iii, fig. 1.

1917. Gilchrist and Thompson, Ann. Durban Mus., vol. i, pt. 4, p. 327 (references and synonymy).

Depth 2-2, length of head 2-3, in length of body. Eye 4-6 in length of head, 11-13 in snout, 1-12 in interorbital width. Teeth in 2 series on side of mandible; canines small. Preopercle finely serrated, serrae slightly enlarged on angle which is rounded and slightly produced. Gill-rakers 16-18 on lower part of anterior arch, nearly as long as gill-fringes. D XI 15-17, 3rd or 4th spine longest, -length of head. A III 8, 2nd spine a little shorter than 3rd. Caudal emarginate. Scales ctenoid, except on head: 1.r. 130–150; 20-25

1.tr.

Length.-Up to 460 mm.

Colour.-Pale lilac to dark purplish-blue, with or without dark dots on body and fins; fins wholly or partially yellow, pectorals uniform yellow.

Locality.-Natal coast.

Distribution.-Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.

The ground colour and the extent of the yellow colour on the unpaired fins varies considerably.

Epinephelus praeopercularis Blgr.

1887. Boulenger, Proc. Zool. Soc., p. 654.

1895. Id., Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., ed. 2, vol. i, p. 207, pl. v.

1917. Gilchrist and Thompson, Ann. Durban Mus., vol. i, pt. 4, p. 333. Depth 3-3, length of head 2-3, in length of body. Eye about equal to interorbital width, 4-5 in length of head, less than snout. Teeth in 2 series on side of mandible; canines strong. Preopercle finely serrated, concave above the produced angle which bears several strong spines. Gill-rakers 15-16 (11 plus rudiments) on lower part of anterior arch. D XI 14-15, 3rd spine longest, length of head. A III 8, 2nd and 3rd spines about equal. Caudal truncate in adult, rounded in young. Scales mostly ctenoid

1.1. 65-72.

Length.-Up to 800 mm.

1.r. 120–125; l.tr.

13-16 45-55

Colour.-Brown, sides spotted or dotted with black, one or two dark streaks from eye across opercle, unpaired fins blackish with narrow white border.

Locality.-Natal coast.

Distribution.-Persian Gulf.

This species seems doubtfully distinct from morrhua. Boulenger separates the two forms on the relative lengths of the longest spine, morrhua having a longer spine than praeopercularis. Gilchrist and Thompson, however, describe two specimens of morrhua (1909, Ann. S. Afr. Mus., vol. vi, pt. 3, p. 217) with a relatively short spine, and one specimen of praeopercularis (1914, ibid., vol. xiii, pt. 3, p. 66) with a relatively long spine. From personal inspection I can confirm this. The main difference between the specimens is the smaller size of the scales in the specimen identified as praeopercularis, a difference which is clear at the first glance.

Epinephelus morrhua (C. and V.).

1833. Cuvier and Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol. ix, p. 434. 1878-88. Day, Fish. India., p. 21, pl. v, fig. 1.

1910. Jordan and Richardson, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., vol. xxxvii, p. 454, fig. 11.

1917. Gilchrist and Thompson, Ann. Durban Mus., vol. i, pt. 4, p. 332 (references and synonymy).

Depth 3-31, length of head 21-23, in length of body. Eye less than interorbital width and than snout, 5-5 in length of head. Teeth in 2 series on side of mandible; canines strong. Preopercle finely serrated, concave about angle which is produced and bears several strong spines. Gill-rakers 15-16 on lower part of anterior arch, as long as gill-fringes. D XI 14-15, 3rd or 3rd and 4th spines longest, length of head. A III 8, 2nd and 3rd spines equal. Caudal truncate in adult, rounded in young. Scales mostly ctenoid :

Colour.-Brown, with undulating oblique stripes or series of dots, being the remnants of well-marked stripes in young; 3-4 oblique streaks on head; soft dorsal and caudal usually spotted.

Locality.-Natal and Zululand coast.

Distribution.-Indian and Western Pacific Oceans to Japan.

Epinephelus albomarginatus Blgr.

White-margined Rock-cod.

1903. Boulenger, Ann. S. Afr. Mus., vol. iii, pt. 3, p. 65, pl. iv. 1909. Gilchrist and Thompson, ibid., vol. vi, pt. 3, p. 216. 1917. Id., Ann. Durban Mus., vol. i, pt. 4, p. 325.

Depth about equal to length of head, 3 in length of body. Eye equal to snout, 4 in length of head, slightly greater than interorbital width. Teeth in 2 series on side of mandible; canines strong. Preopercle finely serrated, slightly concave above angle which bears 3-5 strong spines. Gill-rakers 13-15 on lower part of anterior arch, as long as gill-fringes. D XI 14, 3rd-5th spines longest. A III 8, 3rd spine longest. Caudal subtruncate. Scales ctenoid, snout scaly, maxilla naked: 1.r. 110-120; 1.tr. ; 1.1. 63-65. (Plate XX, fig. 2.)

Length.-Up to 320 mm.

18-20
50

Colour. Reddish-brown, with numerous small round spots, belly unspotted; pectoral yellow, other fins dark, edged with white; soft dorsal and caudal more or less distinctly spotted.