WEST AFRICA 27 



and a few membranous processes scattered over head. Length of band of palatine 

 teeth about § diameter of eye. 11 or 12 gill-rakers on lower part of anterior arch. 

 Scales smooth, with the hinder margins crenulate; 6 or 7 series between last soft-ray 

 of dorsal fin and lateral line ; breast naked. Dorsal XII 9 ; third, fourth and fifth spines 

 longest, 2^ to 3^ in length of head. Anal III 5; third spine as long as or longer than 

 second in adults, second spine longest in immature specimens. Pectoral with 16 or 

 17 rays, extending to above vent or a little beyond. Reddish brown, variously mottled 

 with darker and dotted with deep black, the dots sometimes margining the darker 

 areas ; in smaller specimens the fins decorated with irregular dark spots, blotches and 

 cross-bands ; often a black blotch on hinder part of spinous dorsal ; pectoral spotted 

 and marbled with dark brown or black, some larger dark spots in the axil. 



Hub. Mediterranean and adjacent parts of the Atlantic, straying northwards to the 

 British Isles. 



In the British Museum numerous specimens, 38-260 mm. in total length. 



Scorpaena ustulata, Lowe. 



? Scorpaena notata, Rafinesque, 1810, Car. N. Gen., p 33. 



Scorpaena ustulata, Lowe, 1841, Proc. Zoo!. Soc, vin (88 and 89), p. 36; Giinther, i860, Cat. 



Fish., u, p. no; Bellotti, 1888, Atti Soc. Ital. Sci. Nat. Milano, xxxi, p. 213, pi. iv, fig. i ; 



Carus, 1889-93, Prodr. Faun. Medit., u, p. 641; Moreau, 1891, H.N. Poiss. France, Suppl. 



p. 26; Collett, 1896, Res. Camp. Sci. Monaco, x, p. 10, pi. iv, fig. 15; Roule, 1907, Arch. 



Zool. exper. gen. (4) vi. Notes et Revue, p. xxi; Jaquet, 1907, Bull. Inst, ocean. Monaco, 



cix; Fage, 1918, Rep. Danish Ocean. Exped. 1908-10, n, A 3, p. 103. 

 Scorpaena porcus, Costa, 1850 (?), Faun. Napoli, II. Pesci, Scorpaena, p. 2, pi. iii. 

 Scorpaena tenerijfea, Jordan and Gunn, 1898, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., p. 345. 



Depth of body 2f to 3 in the length, length of head 2\ to 2\. Distance from origin 

 of dorsal to anterior edge of occipital pit equal to or a little greater than diameter of eye. 

 Snout blunt, shorter than eye, diameter of which is 3 to 4 in length of head and about 

 twice the interorbital width. No visible scales on head, but numerous pores, which in 

 preserved specimens give parts of the head a pustulate appearance. A deep occipital 

 pit. Spines on praeorbital strong, the anterior with two points ; 4 well-developed spines 

 on suborbital ridge. Supraorbital tentacle generally developed, sometimes small or 

 even absent ; its length generally j to i diameter of eye ; sometimes a few membranous 

 processes on head. Length of band of palatine teeth about \ diameter of eye. 10 to 12 

 gill-rakers on lower part of anterior arch. Scales spinulose and ciHated ; 3 or 4 series 

 between last soft-ray of dorsal and lateral line; breast naked; a few membranous 

 processes sometimes present on body. Dorsal XII 9 (XIII 8 in one specimen) ; third to 

 fifth spines longest, 2 to 2\ in length of head. Anal III 5; second spine longer and 

 stronger than third. Pectoral with 18 (occasionally 17 or 19) rays, extending to above 

 origin of anal or not quite as far; base broad, the lowermost ray inserted level with root 

 of pelvic spine and more or less in advance of uppermost. Reddish brown; nearly 

 uniform or variously mottled with darker and paler on body and fins ; often dotted with 

 black ; nearly always a black blotch on hinder part of spinous dorsal fin. 



4-2 



