82. BEttYCID^E HOLOCENTRUS. 459 



239. IIOLOCENTRUS Bloch. 



Squirrel-JisJies. 



(Ehynchlckihys Cuv. &. Vtil. ; youug. ) 

 (Ariedi; Bloch, AusL Fische, iv, 01, about 1787: type Holocentrm sogo Bloch.) 



Body oblong 1 , moderately compressed, the ventral outline nearly 

 straight, the back a little elevated, the tail very slender. Head coin- 

 pressed, narrowed forward. Operculum with a strong spine above, 

 below which the edge is sharply serrated ; a strong spine at the angle 

 of preopercle. Orbital ring, preorbital, preopercle, iiiteropercle, sub- 

 opercle, occiput, and shoulder girdle with their edges sharply serrate. 

 Mouth small, terminal, the lower jaw projecting in the adult; in the 

 young (which constitute the supposed genus Rliyncliicliiliys], the snout is 

 much produced. Maxillary broad, striate, with a supplemental bone. 

 Eye excessively large. Scales large, closely imbricated, the posterior 

 margin strongly spinous. Lateral line continuous. Dorsal deeply emar- 

 ginate, the spines usually 11, depressible in a groove; soft dorsal short 

 and high ; anal with 4 spines, the first and second quite small, the third 

 very long and strong, the fourth smaller; caudal widely forked; both 

 lobes with the rudimentary rays spine-like ; veutrals large, I, 7, the 

 spine very strong. Species numerous, remarkable for the development 

 of sharp spines almost everywhere on the surface of the body. (oAw?, 

 wholly; xlvrpovj spine.) 



72O. H. peaitacaaitlius (Bloch) Vaill. & Boc. Squirrel-fish. 



Chiefly bright red, with shining longitudinal streaks; tins not black. 

 Mouth small, the maxillary scarcely reaching middle of orbit. Soft 

 dorsal as high as the body ; ventrals much longer than pectorals, reach- 

 ing vent. Head 3 in length ; depth 3. Eye about 2J in head. D. 

 XI, 15; A. IV, 10; V. I, 7; Lat. 1. 50. Vertebra 11 + 10. Coeca 25. 

 West Indies ; accidental on our coast ; once taken at Newport, E. I. 

 " Its bright color and nervous darting motions rendering it one of the 

 most conspicuous denizens of the rock-pools. The local name refers to 

 the grunting noise uttered by them, which resembles the bark of a 

 squirrel." (Goode.) 



(Bodiamis pentacantlius * Bloch, Ansl. Fische, iv, 40, taf. 225 : Holocentrns sogo Blooh, 

 Ausl. Fische, iv, 61, taf. 232: Perca rufa Walbaum, Artedi, Pise. 1792, 351; Holo- 

 ccntrum longipinno'GnntiheT, i, 28; Vaillant & Bocourt, Miss. Sci. au Mex. 144.) 



* " Opercula squamosa. Auteriora 5 spinis pone horrida." (Bloch.) 



