SEBASTES MADEUENSIS. 181 



of the upper jaw in front ; another rather large one at the hinder edge of each fore 

 nostril ; and a similar one behind the last of the five orbital spines : the edge of 

 the preopercle and suborbitary is fringed with similar but very short laciniae. The 

 orbit, or eyebrow, is copiously fringed with short and simple ones, like filaments : 

 and the broad ends of the maxillaries have a single longer one of the same kind; of 

 which there are also two or three, ranging backwards in a row, along the branches 

 of the lower jaw, beginning from their symphysis behind the lip. Of these the front 

 ones form a large conspicuous pair ; being, while the fish is alive and in the water, 

 stretched constantly straight forwards, like two horns, beneath the chin, and 

 reaching beyond its edge. The body is usually unfm^nished, even on the lateral 

 line, with either of these kinds : but the flanks, together with the base and upper 

 axils of the pectoral fins, are copiously furnished with little triangular flap-like 

 laciniae of a brilliant white ; in some parts one almost to each scale ; whilst the 

 rest of the sides, the lateral line, and branchial membrane, are more thinly 

 sprinkled with the same. Towards the tail these disappear. 



The lateral line is nearly straight, as usual ; and consists of from twenty-eight 

 to thirty scales, each marked with an adpressed spine-like point, especially to- 

 wards its origin. 



In the general disposition of its colouring, this fish most resembles the Se- 

 bastes imperiaUs, Cuv. The ground-colour of the sides is a pale hom, or oli- 

 vaceous ochre-yellow, marbled with large irregular distinct dark patches of rich 

 brown ; descending from the back, and forming three distinct broad wavy bands 

 behind the middle, reaching quite down to the ventral line : the first of them 

 covering the front also of the soft hinder portion of the dorsal fin ; the second 

 passing like a bar across the fleshy root, and the third across the middle of the 

 caudal fin ; the tip of which shows' traces of a fourth. The back, forwarder, is 

 like the head dusky, and irregularly mottled with darker brown. The belly 

 and breast are pale and immaculate. The whole is variegated with dots and 

 touches of clear white and scarlet, or vermilion. The cheeks are spotted with 

 brown. The lower jaw, throat, and branchial membrane are most beautifully 

 freckled or mottled with rose-colour and white. The lips are clear yellow, or 

 tawny-yellow (fulvous). The inside of the mouth, tongue, and gullet are white 

 and immaculate ; pale flesh-colour only towards the front. The iris is golden, 

 nearly covered with large rich brown patches and some garnet-red. 



The spiny part of the dorsal fin is mottled like tortoiseshell with rich tawny- 

 yellow, white, and dark brown. The fore-part of the soft-rayed portion is co- 

 vered by the first of the three bands, having the tips of the rays bright red or 

 rose. The anal fin is less mottled, with the tip bright red or rose-colour. The 

 ventral fins are deep rosy-red, immaculate. The rays of the pectoral fins are 

 barred with dark brown, red, and white ; the tips of the lower fleshy rays 

 being rose. The caudal fin, with a broad dark brown band in the middle, 

 is also tipped with the same colour, and with rose-red. 



These are the usual colours shortly after death. Whilst alive and in the water, 

 it has a different aspect : so closely imitative of the coral-incrusted rocky shelves 

 and sunny shallows upon which it loves to bask, that the eye fails often to discern 

 it ; and, even in a shallow pool of only two or three feet in diameter, may search 

 for it some time without discovery. Under these conditions, it exhibits less of 

 red or rosy, and more of a richly mottled tortoiseshell or brown, of varying shades 

 and intensity, freckled, like the flower of a Stapelia, with light and dark, drab 

 and coffee-colour : the whole being thickly speckled with clear white, and with 

 here and there a little red; the white specks being chiefly the short flap-like 

 laciniae. After death the red, deep rose, or scarlet gi'adually more and more 



VOL. I. O 



