30 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 121 Genus HELICOLENUS Goode and Bean

Helicolenns Goode and Bean, Oceanic ichthyology, p. 248, 1895 (genotype Scorpaena dactyloptera

De

la Roche by original designation).

Helicolenus is in a

way

intermediate

between

Sehastes

and

Scor- paetia, agreeing with either genus in

some

characters

and

differing in others. It agrees with Sehastes in having the first preopercular spine shorter than the second, in having ctenoid scales, in the extent of scalation,

and

in lackingtentacles,

and

nearly agrees inthe spinous armature of the head. Helicolenus lacks accessory scales

which

are present in Sehastes.

The two

genera differ further in the

number

of dorsalspines, anal rays,

and

gill rakers.

The normal

orusual

number

of dorsal spines is 12inHelicolenus

and

15 ⁱⁿSehastes.

The number

of anal rays is almost constantly 5 in Helicolenus, while in Sehastes the

number

differs with the species

and

varies with the individual, the range being 6-10.

The

gill rakers are less

numerous and

not so well developed in Helicolenus. Helicolenus agrees with Scorpaeriain normally having 12 dorsal spines

and

5 anal rays,

and

^differs

from

the latter in having the first preopercular spine shorter than the sec- ond, ctenoidscales,

and

an emarginate caudal. In general, thespinous armature of thehead is notwell developedinHelicolenus

and

thegill rakers better developed, as

compared

with Scorpaena.

The

degree of development

and number

of^gill rakersin Helicolenusare ratherinter- mediate

between

Sehastes

and

Scorpaena. Helicolenus differs

from

both generainthe shape

and

structureofits pectoralfin.

The

^generic

characters are included below in the description of the one species heretreated.

HELICOLENUS DACTYLOPTERUS

(De la Roche), sensu lato

D.(XI) XII (XIII)

(10) ^11-13. A.III ₍₄₎ 5. P.17-20. Sc.6o- 79.

GR.7-9+

16-19.

Description.

— Eye

larger than snout. Interorbital width approxi- mately a third to ahalf the eye diameter. Maxillary ending approxi- mately under anterior

margin

of pupil. Palatine teeth present.

No

slit on inner side of fourthgill arch. Gillrakers comparatively rather slender, of

moderate

length at angle, rather gradually decreasing in size both ways, those at both ends short, sometimes one or

two

at either end very short, tubercle-like; total

number

of gill rakers

and

tubercles

7-9+16-19,

23-27 in

combined number.

Occiput flat, with- out a pit. Parietal ridge divided into

two

unequal parts, the anterior

NO.

8 WESTERN ATLANTIC SCORPIONFISHES GINSBURG

3I part long, both parts ending in spinous points; frontal spine placed laterad of parietal ridge, in a line with postocular;

upper and

lower posttemporal spinesratherclosely

approximated

^; sphenotic

and

ptero- tic spines placed rather low, approximately

on

a lengthwise line through upper

margin

of pupil; sphenotic spine short

and

blunt or represented

by

a

mere bony knob

or absent; pterotic rather

narrow and

pointed or absent; postorbital absent; preorbital without definite spinous points,

two

slight or

moderate

blunt

knobs

instead; suborbital ridgewith one slight or

moderate

point, or

smooth

; cleithrumwithout a spinous point or projection.

Second

preopercular spine longest, reaching about halfway to opercular

margin

or a ^little farther; first spine distinctly shorter than second, subequal to or slightly longer than third, without a supplementary spine; fourth

and

fifth spines moderate.

Upper

outer corner of interopercle often endingin ablunt angle or spinous point.

Without

tentacles or tabs. Scales ctenoid, 60-79; ^nape, opercle,

and

cheek virtually all scaled; interopercle partly scaled; interorbital scaled for a short distance posteriorly, its greater part scaleless; snout scaleless; maxillary partly scaled, infre- quentlythe scales

few and

nearly

embedded

(suchvariants appearing scaleless

on

superficialexamination). Dorsaltypically with 12 spines;

penultimate spine about four-fifths as long as last spine or slightly longer; longest dorsal spine subequal to postorbital part of head.

Ventral having its outer angle a little behind lower pectoral angle, about reaching anus, varying slightly both ways. Pectoral usually having

upper

2 rays unbranched, next 8-10 branched, lower 7-9 un- branched, total

number

of rays 17-20; the lower

unbranched

rays notably thickened, their distal ends detached

from

one another for nearlyhalf theirlength_;posterior

margin

of

upper

half offina nearly straight, slightly incHned line; the fin reaching

backward

approxi- mately to a vertical through

end

of ventral. Caudal very moderately emarginate.

Ground

color yellowish or golden; upper part of body, for a vari- able distance, with dark, irregular, partly anastomosing or confluent markings, thedark

pigment

mostlyconfinedto

margin

of scales;these dark

markings

orshadings absent in

most

specimens

examined

(prob- ably disappearing in preservative)_; posterior

and

greater part of

mouth

cavity

and

^{inner face} of gill cover black or dusky,

dark

color especially

marked on

roof of cavity,

sometimes

the dark color hardly appreciable in specimens long in preservative. In recently preserved specimens the color in the

mouth

cavity is a deep bluish black.

The

smaller specimens of maderensis

have

a dorsal spot as de-

32

SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS

VOL. 121 scribed under that subspecies. Smaller specimens of the other

two

subspecies are not available forcomparison.

Subspecies.

— The

samplesof thisspecies

examined

aredivisible into three

major

allopatric populations according to the following geo- graphic regions: (i) eastern Atlantic

and

Mediterranean, ₍₂₎ west- ern north Atlantic, (3) Atlantic coast of

South America; and

are hereafter treated as subspecies, dactylopterus, maderensis,

and

lahil- lei, respectively.

The

subspecies differ in the relative frequency of occurrence of a spine on the suborbital ridge, in the scale count,

and

in

some

proportional

measurements

as stated

and

discussed

under

theiraccounts. In

some

proportional

measurements

dactylopterus

and

lahilleirepresent the extremes while maderensis is intermediate.

The

interorbitalhasthe greatestaveragewidthinlahillei

and

thenarrowest in dactylopterus.

The

proportional numerical value of the ventral, pectoral, depth, head, maxillary,

and

eye

measurements

average high- est in dactylopterus

and

lowest in lahillei.

HELICOLENUS DACTYLOPTERUS DACTYLOPTERUS

(De la Roche) Scorpaena dactyloptera

De

la Roche, Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, vol. 13, ^pi.

22, fig. 2, 1809 (Barcelona).

Helicolenus dactylopterus Norman, Discovery Reports, vol. 12, p. 24, 1935 (summarizes distribution; compares with the American maderensis and other species).

D.XII

12. A.III 5. P.19-20. Sc.66-73.

GR.7-8+

16-18.

Description.

—

^Spine

on

suborbital ridge usually absent, sometimes present (on one side in i outof7 specimens). Scales66-73 (in 5).

Measurements

of

6

specimens 197-325

mm.

^: caudal25.5-28.0,ven- tral 22-26, pectoral 30.5-33.0, depth 33.0-36.5,

head

40-45, maxillary 21.5-22.5, snout 9.0-1i.o, eye 13.5-14.2, interorbital 4.4-4.7; snout 1.2-1.5

and

interorbital 2.9-3.2times in eye.

Specimens

examined.

—

^Bergen,

^Norway

(17434).

Azores

_(23302, 94491).

Bay

of Naples (48329).

Genoa

_{(29783, 124422).} Received

from

Paris

Museum,

without a definite locality (42086). Total ex- amined, 7 specimens 192-395

mm.,

the largest

from Norway.

Comparison.

—

^{This subspecies dififers}

^from

^{the other}

^two

^here

treated in usually lacking a spine on the suborbital ridge. It possibly averages a longer head, maxillary, pectoral

and

ventral, larger eye,

narrower

interorbital, fewergill rakers,

and more

pectoral rays.

The

scalecountisrather intermediate

between

maderensis

and

^lahillei.

NO.

8 WESTERN ATLANTIC SCORPIONFISHES — ^GINSBURG

33