1941 CATALOGUE OF FISHES OF TORTUGAS 1 ^ 1 



Scorpaena bergii Evermann and Marsh 



Many specimens, 50 to 85 mm. long, were seined inside Bird Key reef or taken 

 with the otter trawl in the 10-fathom channels between Loggerhead and Garden 

 keys. Sexual maturity is already attained at the length of 70 mm. Females were 

 spawning in July. 



Five specimens examined all had D. XII, 10; A. 111,6; P. 17, the 4 rays follow- 

 ing the uppermost branched, 1 the fin rather small, barely extending past ventrals; 

 2d anal spine decidedly longer and rather stronger than 3d; dorsal surface of 

 head with nasal, preocular, supraocular, postocular, coronal, parietal, nuchal, and 

 2 humeral spines; a stout postorbital spine before the occipital one; preorbital 

 with 2 spines at its anterior margin; suborbital keel with a terminal spine only; 

 opercle with 2 flattened spines; preopercle with 4, the uppermost strongest, a 

 supplementary one at its base; the stout, pinnately branched, or flattened leaflike 

 supraorbital cirrus sometimes longer than eye, often missing; other cephalic cirri 

 moderate; some along lateral line larger than others on trunk. 



Variation in color is great. Two observed were respectively reddish and 

 greenish and maintained the difference for weeks, though each within limits 

 was capable of change. The living fish often show a dark band crossing inter- 

 orbital, descending through eye and continuing on cheek; sometimes with a 

 vague dark area above and behind pectoral, varying much in size and sharpness 

 of definition; an irregular bar of ochraceous orange sometimes present beneath 

 middle of soft dorsal; the humeral bar extending on dorsal, the bar between 

 dorsal and anal, and the usually darker pigmented bands on caudal ranging in 

 color between olive and apple green. For identification in life, the pale yellow 

 on the posterior face of the pectoral perhaps provides the best mark, though it 

 does not last. In the yellow of the axil of pectoral are small dark spots; anal irreg- 

 ularly barred; ventrals rosy, with dark spots. W. H. L. 



The collection contains 28 specimens, ranging in length from 47 to 85 mm. 

 These were compared with the type, with which they agree. In 2 specimens (66 

 and 74 mm. long) and the type (75 mm. long) the scale formulas were 3-37-10, 

 3-43-1 1, and 3-39-12 in the type; P. 16, 17, and 17 in the type; gill rakers 8 or 9, 

 including 2 rudiments. The following proportions are based on the same speci- 

 mens, those for the type being enclosed in parentheses. Head 2.4, 2.5 (2.25); 

 depth 2.65, 2.85 (2.7). Eye in head 3.5, 3.8 (3.25); snout 4.2, 3.8 (3.7); maxillary 

 1.9, 1.75 (2.0); interorbital 9.5, 7.2 (8.6); caudal peduncle 4.2, 4.0 (4.3); 4th dorsal 

 spine 2.0, 2.2 (2.55); 2d anal spine 1.75, 1.9 (2.1); pectoral 1.3, 1.25 (1.4). 



West Indies to Florida. S. F. H. 



Scorpaena grandicornis Cuvier and Valenciennes 

 This species occasionally was taken on the flats about Long Key and Bird Key 



ree 



f. 



1 Evermann and Marsh's figure (Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., vol. 20, pt. 1, 1900 (1902), p. 276, 

 fig. 83) shows no branched rays, an oversight which perhaps explains the transfer of the 

 species to Pontinus by Jordan, Evermann, and Clark (Check list, 1930, p. 372). 



