72 PROCEEDINGS OP THE CALIFORNIA 



width of orbit. Height of head just behind orbit about equal to distance from 

 tip of snout to edge of preoperculum ; breadth one-third to one-half of its 

 length. Skin on occiput elevated from the bone by a thick layer of fat, not 

 by any bony expansions. 



Height of pectoral fin less than length of head ; its width about one-third 

 of its height, middle rays longest. 



Dorsal arising above pectoral joint, its length one-third that of the fish ; first 

 spine one-ninth the length of the fin ; the other spines lengthening to the com- 

 mencement of the soft portion, of which the longest ray is one-fifth the length of 

 the fin, and the last ray one-fifteenth ; the entire fin having a gradually arching 

 outline. 



Caudal moderately broad, deeply forked, and acutely pointed ; the upper 

 lobe slightly the largest. 



Anal similar in form to dorsal, arising opposite its eighth soft ray and pro- 

 longed a little farther back. It is three-fifths as long as dorsal, its height about 

 one-fourth its length, the first (spinous) ray and the last each half as long as 

 the longest. 



Ventrals four-fifths the height of pectorals, arising immediately behind them ; 

 their width one-third of their length. 



D. VII, 23-2, C 3-1-6-6-1-3, A 1-2-21-2, P 6-1-11, V, 1-1-1-3. Scales 175 , 44~t £. 



Colors. — Pale silvery brown, white below ; an obscure row of brown spots 

 and mottlings on sides ; fins and tail olive uear base ; iris dark brown and gilt. 



Remarks. — This fish seems to be a very aberrant form of the Percoid family, 

 having many of the characters of other orders. Its general form and dentition are 

 those of some Sciaenoids, while its entire dorsal, opercular armature and only five 

 branchiostegals separate it both from them and the Percoids. The very long 

 anal is another character found in few if any members of these families. I can 

 find nothing in the pharyngeal bones to indicate its affinities, these being closely 

 like those of both the above families as shown in Seriphus politus and Parala- 

 brax clathratus, which on comparison have them almost exactly similar. 



The genus Heterognathodon, of Bleeker, has several of the most peculiar char- 

 acters of this one ; but not having a full description of it, I cannot compare them. 

 There are generic differences at least, and the habitat is widely different, being 

 the East Indies. Richardson places it with other aberrant genera in the family 

 Theraponidae — (Datninae, of Swainson.) which is probably a mixture of sev- 

 eral. 



The outline figure represents the fish one-third the natural size ; 22 inches. 



This fish is caught rather plentifully in autumn at Catalina Island, where I 

 obtained the one here described, in October, 1861. During my late visit there, 

 in June and July, none would bite, and I have not yet obtained any duplicates. 

 It is called by the very vague name of " White-fish." . 



The figure being made from a skin may be a little inaccurate in proportions ; 

 but I hope to be able to present a better one in the Report of the Geological 

 Survey. 



This white-fish is not remarkable for excellence as food. 



