106. SCOKP^ENID^E SEBASTODES. 653 



moderate or large, with the jaws equal or the lower inor'e or less pro- 

 jecting; teeth in villiforin bands on jaws, vomer and palatines. Head 

 more or less evenly scaled, without dermal flaps; cranial ridges more or 

 less developed;* some or all of the following pairs present, usually 

 ending in spines: preocular, supraocular, postocular, tympanic, cor- 

 onal, occipital, and nuchal. Five preopercular spines. Two spines on 

 the opercle and one to three on the suprascapula. Suborbital stay 

 moderate, usually not reaching preopercle. Gill-rakers various. Scales 

 moderate or rather small, ctenoid, in 45 to 100 transverse series. Dor- 

 sal fin continuous, emargiuate, its formula XIII, 12 to 14. Anal fin 

 III, 6 to 0. Pectorals well developed, the base broad or narrow, the 

 lower rays undivided. Caudal truncate or slightly forked; soft parts 

 of vertical fins more or less scaly. Pyloric coaca G to 11. Vertebrae 

 12 + 15. Species of rather large size, and varied, often brilliant colors, 

 mostly red. Sexes colored alike. Most of them, inhabit the Pacific 

 Ocean, and they are exceedingly abundant in rocky places along the 

 west coast of the United States. All are ovoviviparous, bringing forth 

 great numbers of young, which are nearly half an inch in length when 

 born. The species differ greatly in form and armature, but the genera 

 based on these differences intergrade too closely to be worthy of reten- 

 tion. (<r/2aoTo'7, Sebastes; ^<>-, likeness.) 



ANALYSIS OF SPECIES OF SEBASTODES. 



a. Scales very small; lat. 1. 90-100; mouth very large, the lower jaw much projecting; 



skull thick, the cranial ridges 

 weak. A. Ill, 9. (SEBASTODES.) 

 Color light olivaceous red ; 

 young greenish paucispinis. 



* Diagram of cranial ridges of Sebastodes. 



*\ 



'I \ 



a\ fa 



a. Nasal spines. d. Postocular spines. g. Occipital spines. 



6. Preocular spines. e. Tympanic spines. h. Nuclial spines. 



c. Supraocular spines. /. Coronal spines. i. Eyes. 



