=The Grunts: Hæmulidæ.=—The large family of _Hæmulidæ_, known in America as grunters or roncos, is represented with the snappers in all tropical seas. The common names (Spanish, _roncar_, to grunt or snore) refer to the noise made either with their large pharyngeal teeth or with the complex air-bladder. These fishes differ from the _Lutianidæ_ mainly in the feebler detention, there being no canines and no teeth on the vomer. Most of the American species belong to the genus _Hæmulon_ or red-mouth grunts, so called from the dash of scarlet at the corner of the mouth. _Hæmulon plumieri_, the common grunt, or ronco arará, is the most abundant species, known by the narrow blue stripes across the head. In the yellow grunt, ronco amarillo (_Hæmulon sciurus_), these stripes cross the whole body. In the margate-fish, or Jallao (_Hæmulon album_), the largest of the grunts, there are no stripes at all. Another common grunt is the black spotted sailor's choice, _Ronco prieto_ (_Hæmulon parra_), very abundant from Florida southward. Numerous other grunts and "Tom Tates" are found on both shores of Mexico, all the species of _Hæmulon_ being confined to America. _Anisotremus_ includes numerous deep-bodied species with smaller mouth, also all American. _Anisotremus surinamensis_, the pompon, abundant from Louisiana southward is the commonest species. _Anisotremus virginicus_, the porkfish or Catalineta, beautifully striped with black and golden, is very common in the West Indies. _Plectorhynchus_ of Polynesia and the coasts of Asia contains numerous large species closely resembling _Anisotremus_, but lacking the groove at the chin characteristic of _Anisotremus_ and _Hæmulon_. Some of these are striped or spotted with black in very gaudy fashion. _Pomadasis_, a genus equally abundant in Asia and America, contains silvery species of the sandy shores, with the body more elongate and the spines generally stronger. _Pomadasis crocro_ is the commonest West Indian species, _Pomadasis hasta_ the best known of the Asiatic forms. _Gnathodentex aurolineatus_ with golden stripes is common in Polynesia. [Illustration: FIG. 278.—Porkfish, _Anisotremus virginicus_ (Linnæus). Key West. ]