Description of a new scorpaenoid fish (<I>Sebastichthys maliger</I>), from the coast of California

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322 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

MeasurementsofD'trema furcatum and Diiremaairipes inlOOthsof length to baseofcau- dal_fin.

Extremelength Lengtlitobaseofcaudal Bodv:

Height

Least height oftail

Lengthofcaudalpedunclefrom endofanalflu

Head:

Length

Widthof interorbitalarea Lengtli ofsnout Leniitliofgill-ralsers

Lengthofmaxilhiry i.

Lengtliofmaudiblo Diameteroforbit Dorsal

:

Lengthofbase Lengthofliftlispine Lengthofliigliestspine Lengthofhighestray Anal

:

Lengthofbase Longest lav Caudal

Middle rays Upperlobe Lowerlobe Pectorals,length Ventrals,length Dorsal Anal

Tubesinlateral line

Kowsof scalesabovelateral line

Eowsofscalesbelowlateral line

Ditrema

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PROCEEDIXGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 323

Spinous ridges on the top of thehead rather prominent,

much

asin nebuloftus, butlower, alittleless depressed than in vexiUaris.

The

fol-

lowingpairs are present: :Nrasal, preocular, supraocular, tympanic,and

occipital, live inall.

The

nasal spines areverystrong.

The

preocular

and

supraocular are broad

and

sliarp.

The

tympanicspines are smaller than in related species.

The

occipital ridges are short andcompara- tively weak, the point rather depressed.

Preopercular spinesvery short, but all distinct, theupper one broad, the secondlongest

and

most acute. Opercular spines large, the upper very long

and

strong. Bluntish spines on subopercle and interopercle.

Two

suprascapular spines. Interorbitalspace rather deeply and some-

what

evenly concave, with aratherdeeppit anteriorly.

Gill-rakers about 10+20, stout,moderatelylong,rather longer than in nebulosus,

somewhat

clavate,the longest about equal to the diameterof

the

pupil.

Scalesmoderate, rough,inabout55 transverse rows. Accessoryscales developed.

Dorsal spinesvery high

and

strong, the fourth spine highest, usually

more

than half tbe length of the head, thelast spines low, so thatthe fin is deeply emarginated.

The membrane

ofthe spinous dorsal is very deeply incised^

more

than half the anterior edge of each of the middle spines being above the

membrane;

evenfour- fifths of the length of the highest spineis sometimes free anteriorly. Thisissubject to

some

variations,butin allcases the bare i^ortion of the si^ines is

much

higher than in other species.

Soft dorsalhigh, butlowerthanspinousdorsal. Caudaltruncate.

Anal

finrather low, thespinesshort. Secondanal spinealittlehigher than the third, not two-thirds the height of thesoft rays.

D. XIII, 12; A. Ill, 7.

Pectoral fins extremely broad

and

rounded, as in 8. rastrelUger,the tipsreaching

beyond

thetips of the veutrals,but nottothevent.

The

base of thefinisgreaterthan the diameter of theeye

and

about twice the length of the occii)ital ridge. In both sexes the lower rays are thickened and fleshy.

Prevailingcolora

warm

brownish yellow, sometimes quite yelloAVon the sides

and

below, the

back

sometimes considerably olive, sometimes reddishtinged. Sides of head,frontofback,

and

thoracicregion usually

most

distinctly yellow.

The

coloration mottled

and

clouded, butwith- out distinct markings excejit the small spots with which theanterior region is closelycovered.

They

are smallest and mostdistincton the thoracic

and

scapular region.

Here

they areof a clearorange-brown

color.

On

the top of the head they

become more

orange, and on the anteriorpart of thebackthey

become

larger

and

ofabrightclearorange.

Posteriorly they blend with thegroundcolor.

Top

of headwith

dusky

cross-shades. Scleroticcoatof eye spotted above withorange.

Fins all with the

membranes

^slaty ^black^; the pectorals

and

dorsal

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324 PROCEEDINGS

OF-

UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

paler atbase

and

spottedwith reddish.

Membrane

of thethird dorsal spine scarcelypalerthan that of the second. Thereareno othertraces of the lightareasfound innelndosus

and

fasciolaris. Thereareusually traces of brownish shades radiating fromthe eyeand alternating with yellowishareas.

This speciesis not rare in the

San

Francisco markets.

The

speci-

mens

fromwhich the abovedescription

was

taken, fourinnumber, were obtainedinthe neighborhoodof theFarallones. It isfrequentlytaken in deep water in

Monterey Bay and

in the Straitsof Fuca; it isvery abundant, reachingalarge size. Itisone of the larger species, agree- ingin size

and

appearance with8.vexiUaris. Itsrelationsare,however,

more

nearlywith S. nebulosuSy

and

itformsatransitionfrom the

brown

tothered series.

Table of measurements.

Lengthtobase of caudal

=

100

Body

:

Greatestheiglit 37.5

Leastlieightoftail 11.8

Head:

Greatest length 38.5

Lengthofoccipitalridges 6.

3

Lengthofsupraocular ridges 4.3

Lengthofpreocular ridges 2.

2

Interorbitalwidth 7.9

Lengthofsnout 9.

2

Lengthofgill-rakers 3.5

Lengthof maxillary 19.

5

Diameteroforbit.._. 10.5

Dorsal

:

Longestspine 23

Longest ray 17.

5

Least heightofmembrane betweenthirdandfourth spines 4,5 Anal:

Secondspine 12.

3

Thirdspine 12

Longest ray 18

Caiulal,length ¹⁷

Pectoral

:

Length 25

Widthof base 11

Ventral,length 22

Dorsal XIII, 12

Anal Ill, 6

Lateralline(rowsofscales) 47

Extremelength,ininches 15.45

Lengthtobase of caudal, ininches ^13.

1

San Francisco,

Cal.,

March

15,1880.