The barber-fish (_Anthias anthias_) of southern Europe, bright red and with the lateral line running very high, is the type of a numerous group found at the lowest fishing level in all warm seas. All the species of this group are bright red, very handsome, and excellent as food. _Hemianthias vivanus_, known only from the spewings of the red snapper (_Lutianus aya_) at Pensacola, is one of the most brilliant species, red, with golden streaks. The genus _Plesiops_ consists of small fishes almost black in color, with blue spots and other markings, abounding about the coral reefs. In this genus the lateral line is interrupted and there is some indication of affinity with the _Opisthognathidæ_. [Illustration: FIG. 264.—Snowy Grouper, _Epinephelus niveatus_ (Cuv. & Val.). Natural size: young. (Photograph by Dr. R. W. Shufeldt.) ] [Illustration: FIG. 265.—Soapfish, _Rypticus bistrispinus_ (Mitchill). Virginia. ] In the soapfishes (_Rypticus_) the supplemental maxillary appears again, but in these forms the dorsal fin is reduced to two or three spines and there are none in the anal. _Rypticus saponaceus_, so called from the smooth or soapy scales, is the best known of the numerous species, which all belong to tropical America. _Grammistes_, with eight dorsal spines, is a related form in Polynesia, bright yellow, with numerous black stripes. Numerous species referred to the _Serranidæ_ occur in the Eocene and Miocene rocks. Some are related to _Epinephelus_, others to _Roccus_ and _Lates_. In the Tertiary lignite of Brazil is a species of _Percichthys_, _Percichthys antiquus_, with _Properca beaumonti_, which seem to be a primitive form of the bass, allied to _Dicentrarchus_. _Prolates heberti_ of the Cretaceous, one of the earliest of the series, has the caudal rounded and is apparently allied to _Lates_, as is also the heavily armed _Acanus regleysianus_ of the Oligocene. _Smerdis minutus_, a small fish from the Oligocene, is also related to _Lates_, which genus with _Roccus_ and _Dicentrarchus_ must represent the most primitive of existing members of this family. Of both _Smerdis_ and _Dicentrarchus_ (_Labrax_) numerous species are recorded, mostly from the Miocene of Europe. [Illustration: FIG. 266.—Flasher, _Lobotes surinamensis_ (Bloch). Virginia. ] [Illustration: FIG. 267.—Catalufa, _Priacanthus arenatus_ Cuv. & Val. Wood's Hole, Mass. ] =The Flashers: Lobotidæ.=—The small family of _Lobotidæ_, flashers, or triple-tails, closely resembles the _Serranidæ_, but there are no teeth on vomer or palatines. The three species are robust fishes, of a large size, of a dark-green color, the front part of the head very short. They reach a length of about three feet and are good food-fishes. _Lobotes surinamensis_ comes northward from the West Indies as far as Cape Cod. _Lobotes pacificus_ is found about Panama. _Lobotes erate_, common in India, was taken by the writer at Misaki, Japan. [Illustration: