Description of a new species of "rock cod" (<I>Sebastichthys serriceps</I>), from the coast of California

38 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Lcugtliofsuontfrommoutli 22

Lengthofnostrils 07

Widthof anteriornasalflap , 06

Lengthofnasalflap , 04

Distancefromsnouttoiirstdorsal 1.565

Lengthofbase of firstdorsal 095

Heightoffirstdorsal 18

Intervalbetweendorsals - 155

Lengthofsecond dorsal 10

Heightofsecond dorsal 19

Heightof caudal .175

Lengthofupperportion ofcaudal 455

Distancefromsnouttoendofbase of pectoral .83

Lengthof base of ventrals 28

Widthofventrals 20

Lengthofclaspers .36

The

type of this species,

an

adult male,

was

taken at Santa Barbara,

Cal.,February 8, ISSO,

by

A. Larco, an Italian fishermen. It is

num-

bered inthecollectionoftheUnitedStates NationaljVIuseum. Mr.

Larco states that this speciesis not

uncommon

about Santa Barbarain spring

and

summer.

Thisspeciesisprobablyrelated to Platyrhinasinensis^butithas little affinitywith Platyrhinaejcaspcrata, already described

by

us,from

San

Diego. In color,form of tail,

and

character of the dermal coveringit

resembles the Rhinohatidcv,

and

itsafiinities withSyrrhina, of the latter

"family," are evident.

OEgCRIIPTBOIV

OF A NEW

gIPECIES

OF

"

KOCK COD" (SEBASTICH-

TEJY.^

SEKBICEPS),

FESO:?! TTBIE

COAST OF

CAI.HFOKIVSA.

'By DAYIB>

S.

JOROAN

^asad

CMARILES

II.

GILBERT.

Body

rather robust, heavyforwards, compressed behind, the caudal peduncleshort

and

ratherslender.

Head

large.

Mouth

large, rather oblique, the maxillary reaching to oppositethemiddle of the eye; the premaxillaryanteriorlyonthe levelof the orbit; jaws about equal, in the closedmouth; teeth,asusual, in villiformbands onthe jaws,vomer,

and

palatines.

Top

of head withthe spinous ridgesvery thick

and

strong, their tips bluntish,turned

upward and

outward; the spineson each side placed nearlyin aright line, so that the edgeof the crown seems

somewhat

regularly serrated.

The

followingx^airs of spines are i:)resent: nasal, preocular, supraoc- ular, tympanic, occipital,

and

nuchal.

The

coronal spines (found in S. auriculatus

and

^. ruber) arewantiugin this species, as arethe post- ocular spines (usually present in iS. pinniger). Interorbital space be- tween the spines narrow, flat,

and

coarselyscaled (the elevated ridges found in S. yiigrocinctiis being wanting).

The

tympanic spines are

PKOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 39

strongertlian inrelated species.

The

nuchal spines are asnsnal placed closebehindtheoccipital.

Preorbital bone rather broad, withasingle obsolete spine directed

downward.

Preoperclewithfiverather short

and

bhmtish spines, the second thelarger,the threelower quite suiiill. Opercle with

two

blunt- ish, divergingspines.

A

^{blunt si)ine} onthe shouldergirdle abovethe pectorals;

two

sharp suprascapular spines. Suboi^ercle

and

loweredge of opercle each witha bluntpoint. Preorbitalscalybelow. Maxillary naked.

Eye

rather large, its diameter aboutone-quarter the length of the head.

Gill-rakers clavate, short, stiff, compressed,

armed

with bristlyteeth above

and

within. There areabout thirtyof

them

inall,those nearest themiddleof the arch longest

and

most perfect,the others gradually growing smaller

and

incomplete.

About

half of

them

have theposte- rior edge free.

The

longest is about one-third the length of the eye

{I in S. melanops; |-in 8.pinniger). In form they are

midway

between the tubercle-like gill-rakers of ^{'^}Sehastosonms^^ {8. melanops)

and

the long

and

slendergill-rakersin"Schastomus^^{8.pinniger^flavidus, cmricu-

latiis,etc.).

Branchiostegals 7, the gill

membranes,

as in other species, little united, Avithoutisthmus.

Scales moderate, essentially as in 8. fasclatus

and

related species.

Lateral line with55 scales.

Dorsal fin with strongspines,the fourth to seventh highest

and

sub- equal,the lowest

more

thanhalf the height of thehighest. Softdorsal rather higher than

any

of the S])ines. Caudal fin broad, rounded.

Anal

^fin with the second spine robust, aboutas longasthe third

and much

stronger, the softrays high.

Pectoral broad

and

rounded, its base deep, nearly one-third the length of the head, itslower rays thickened as in 8.melanops, itstips reaching justjiastthe vent. Ventralsfalling just short of thefrontof

anal.

Finrays: D. XII, 1, 13; A.^Ill,5.

General colordarkolive, blackish on the head

and

back, the sides

somewhat

yellowish; sides of

body

with black cross-bands which are

somewhat

oblique; these baudsare usually distinct,butare sometimes nearly obsolete in dark-colored examples.

The

first

band

runsdown-

ward

from front of dorsal across base of pectoral; the second from near themiddle of spinous dorsaltobehindtheventrals; thethirdfrom theposterior part of thedorsal tothe vent; the fourth

and

fifthabove theanal,

and

thesixth atbase of caudal.

Another

black bar extends across the scapular region

and

the opercular spines,

and two

bandsradi- ate from the eye, obliquely

downward

and backward. Belly

dusky

greenish; fins blackish,with astrongolive thige.

Lii)s,mouth, frontand lotcer part of the head, with a strong

wash

of

40 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

copperyred, this colorfading outon tliethoracic region.

Base

of fins

and

different parts of tlie

body

sometimes with obscure small whitish spots.

Mcasnrcmcnts.

(ISTo. ,UnitedStatesXationalMuseum,from SantaI!arl)ara.)

Extremelengtli 10.40inches..

Lengthtobase of caudal 8.70 inches

=

1.00

Greatest depth 38

Least depth 11

Lengthofhead 35

Diameterofeye 085

Lengthofsnout 10

Widthofinterorhitalarea 055

Lengthof supraocularridge 05

Lengthofoccipitalridge 06

Lengthofmaxillary , 18

Distancefromsnouttodorsal 825

Lengthof base of dorsal .57

Heiglit oflongest spine 13

Heightoflongestray 1.55

Lengthofbase of anal 135

Heightofsecond spine 14

Heightoflongestray 22

Lengthofcaudal ^.205

Widthofbase of pectoral 11

Lengthof pectoral 2G5

Lengthofventral .24

This speciesisfoundin great

abundance

about the island of Santa Catalina,whereeightexamples wereobtained

by

thewriters.

Another was

taken at Santa Barbara, where the speciesis consideredrare

by

thefishermen. Itseems tobe intermediate between the still rougher-

hea(Jed;S^. nigrocinetus, on the one hand,

and

the smoother S.fasciatus

and

S. melanopsontheother.

ON

TESE

OCCttlKKENCE OF

€EI»KrAI.©SCYr<I.IUM IjATSC'EPS (DIT-

MEEtlE)OII.Ii,OIV

THE COAST OF

CAl,EFOKIVIA.

By DAVI©

S. JORi!>A]^

and CEIAHLES H. CJffLBERT.

While we

were engaged in

making

collections on the coast of Los AngelesCounty, California, ashark

was

described tous

by

aWilming- ton fisherman as havingthe habit

when

caughtof filling himself with air "tillhe

was

bigasabarrel," sothatif thrown back inthe water he

would

float

away

on the surface,bellyux)ward, etc.,exactly afterthe fashionofthespecies ofTetrodon.

On

cross-questioning,thefisherman assured us that theanimal

was

agenuineshark, with the

mouth

under- neath

and many

sharp teeth,

and

that he

had

frequentlytaken

them

near Wilmington.

At

lastone of these animals

was

brought in to us

by

a fisherman