SEBASTES KUHLir. 117 



the strong uppermost which terminates the suborbital ridge, being Uke the lowest 

 of all, small and inconspicuous ; whilst the third and fourth again are stronger, 

 broad, and flattened. The uppermost of the two superscapulary spines is very- 

 small and inconspicuous ; and the third posterior or scapulary spine, forming the 

 apex of the triangle in this group, is much more remote from the anterior pair. 

 The little groups immediately behind the eye, on and below the posterior frontal 

 bone, are either indiscernible or wanting : but the large spine half way between 

 the eye and the lower of the two superscapulary spines is present and distinct, 

 though straighter and more slender and adpressed than in the Carneiro : and the 

 humeral bone ends also in a more distinct and slender spine in the upper axil of 

 the pectoral fins. 



The nostrils, with the spine above the first, and the protuberance before it, are 

 the same as in the Carneiro : but this hump or protuberance is much more obso- . 

 lete ; and when the fish becomes dry, several pores become apparent on the muzzle, 

 which without caution are easily mistaken for one or other of the true nostrils, and 

 which I have not observed in the Carneiro. 



Of the spines from the eye to the nape, there is a very strong one at the fore 

 corner of the orbit ; and three close together, one behind the other, at its upper 

 hinder corner : then a little backwarder, after an interval, a pair like those in the 

 Carneiro, terminating the armour of the head behind. 



The pectoral fins are very large, and when expanded, broadly rounded, and 

 nearly as deep as long. Tlie extremities of all the rays except the two or three 

 first are free : and from seven to ten of the last are considerably produced beyond 

 the web : but what is a still more remarkable character of this fish, and very 

 anomalous, is that thej^ are all perfectly simple or unbranched. They are also 

 thickly annulate or barred. 



The ventral fins are larger and more pointed than in the Carneiro. They are 

 shorter, however, than the pectoral fins ; their length being about three-fifths that 

 of the head, or something more than one-fifth that of the whole fish. 



The dorsal fin begins forward on the nape, over the scapulary spine. In ex- 

 tent and form it resembles that of the Carneiro. Adult or full-grown examples 

 have the second and third spines, or sometimes only one of these, abruptly and 

 enormously produced to a length from three to four or even five times greater than 

 the first, or half as long again or twice as long as those immediately behind them : 

 and these elongated spines are furnished with laciniae at their tips, like the Earlier 

 (Anlhias sacer, Bl.) : but in small or younger individuals the second and third 

 spines are not produced disproportionately to the first ; the third or longest being 

 scarcely longer than the five or six succeeding spines behind it ; which are in all 

 cases of nearly equal length. 



The anal fin in shape and position resembles exactly that of the Carneiro ; but 

 it is smaller and shorter than the ventral fins. The vent is also situate consider- 

 ably ]:iefore it. Its last ray is double or forked to the base, like the last soft ray 

 of the dorsal fin : but it is free or not connected to the body by a web ; which the 

 last ray of the dorsal and ventral fins is, for a great part of its length. 



The caudal fin is simple, truncate, slightly convex. 



The whole head, with the exception of the muzzle before the eyes, the maxilla- 

 ries, and the lower jaw, which are naked, is in this fish quite distinctly scaled. 

 This is the case also with the belly, the base of the pectoral fins and breast quite 

 up to the point of the throat : which parts, with the whole head in the Carneiro, 

 it must be remembered, are wholly smooth or naked. The scales on the opercles 

 and the cheeks advance no further forwards than the front of the eyes ; and 

 although small, are quite distinct and rough. Those on the body are also much 

 smaller and rougher than in the Carneiro : and they terminate less abruptly at the 



VOL. I. K 



