532 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



upper longest. Spines of anal and ventrals somewhat serrate 

 on the anterior edge. Vertebrae 13+14=27. Pyloric caeca 

 about seventy. Branchiostegals seven. Posterior processes of 

 premaxillaries not reaching frontals; parietal and supraocular 

 crests not extending between postfrontal processes; supraoc- 

 cipital crest strong, but not produced forward on cranium. 

 Species inhabiting deep waters in the warm seas, reaching a 

 very great size. The one is confined to the coasts of Southern 

 Europe and neighboring waters; the other (Polyp r ion 

 oxygeneios) is recorded from Juan Fernandez and about 

 New Zealand. 



262 Polyprion americanus (Bloch & Schneider) 



Wreckfish; Stone Bass; Cernie/r 



^Ampliiprion americanus Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth. 205, pi. XLVII, 



1801. 

 Polyprion cernium Ouvier, in Valenciennes, Mem. du Mus. d'Hist. Nat. 



XI, 265, pi. XVII, 1824; Ouvier & Valenciennes, Hist Nat. Poiss. 



Ill, 21, pi. 42, 1829; Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. I, 169, 1859. 

 Polyprion oxyyenius Jordan & Gilbert, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 532, 



1883. 

 Polyprion americanns Jordan, Cat Fish. N. A. 83, 1885; Jordan & Ever- 



MANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1139, 1896, pi. OLXXXI, fig. 480, 480a, 



skull, 1900. 



Body robust, moderately elevated, the depth being contained 

 from two and two thirds to three and one half times in the 

 length; mouth large, the maxillary reaching to posterior border 

 of eyes; teeth in villiform bands on jaws, vomer, palatines, and 

 tongue; supraocular region, supraclavicle^ post-temporal, pre- 

 opercle, and a ridge on opercle spinigerous; dorsal fin low with 

 11 strong spines; caudal rounded; anal spines short, serrate 

 anteriorly, the third much the longest; ventrals large; pectorals 

 short. The length of the head is contained three times in the 

 length of the body. D. XI, 12; A. Ill, 8. Color grayish brown, 

 the caudal edged with white; young clouded with light and dark. 

 This large fish is not uncommon off the coast of Europe in the 

 deep waters of 300 fathoms or more, the young only swimming 

 near the surface, specially southward. It is said to live most 

 abundantly about wrecks; hence the common name of wreck- 



