84 



This species appears to be quite rare in this vicinity ; but a single 

 specimen has been seen. It is perhaps more abundant below Point 

 Conception, since it was brought by Capt. C. M. Scammon from the 

 coast of Lower CaUfornia, in a collection of fishes made by him 

 there. The largest is a httle over twelve inches in length. 



This genus, though resembling in general features some species 

 of Pomocentrus, presents a new grouping of generic characters. It 

 may be called 



Camarina (x\yres). — Scales conspicuous, ciliate, covering the 

 entire body and the cheeks, and extending far up on all the fins; 

 dorsal fin single, long, the anterior portion spinous ; anal short, with 

 three spinous rays ; opercular apparatus loithout spines or serra- 

 tions ; branchial apparatus continuous ; teeth numerous, crowded, 

 in both jaivs, those in the front of each jaw large, imbricated, 

 lobed ; behind these a crowded mass of similar teeth, smaller ; yione 

 on the vomer or palatines. 



Poronotus simillimus, (Ayres) Fig. 23. — Form elongated, oval, 

 much compressed ; dorsal and ventral outlines nearly evenly 

 curved to the peduncle of the tail, which is short, with its sides 

 parallel ; greatest depth a little more than two-fifths of the total 

 length ; depth of the peduncle of the tail not quite one-sixth of the 

 greatest depth ; head constituting about one-fifth of the entire 

 length ; eye nearly circular, distant from the front of the head about 

 its own diameter, which equals one-fourth the length of the head ; 

 nostrils near the front of the head, each aperture vertically ellipti- 

 cal, the posterior a little the larger ; snout blunt, almost vertical ; 

 mouth rather small, the tip of the maxillary but just passing the 

 line of the front of the orbit ; teeth small, straight, rather blunt, 

 somewhat numerous, in a single close set row in each jaw ; none on 

 the palatines or vomer ; operculum ending in a blunt rounded 

 angle ; preoperculum very finely denticulated, almost smooth. 



Scales rather small, soft, not conspicuous, smooth, rounded, 

 elliptical ; lateral fines following nearly the curve of the back. 



A short distance anterior to the dorsal fin is a concealed horizon- 

 tal spine directed forward, merely its very tip projecting ; close 

 behind the anus is another, also directed forward ; while a short 

 distance anterior to it is still another dii-ected backward. These 

 spines are similar to those of P. triacanthus, but seem to be less 

 prominent. The dorsal fin, arising a little anterior to the close 

 of the first fourth of the fish in length, and extending to the com- 

 mencement of the slender peduncle of the tail, has its greatest 

 height (which is not quite equal to one-fourth its length) at about 

 the fifth ray. The height of the last ray is less than one-fifth of 



