450 FISHES COLLECTED BY THE ALBATROSS— GILBERT. 



fill is declined: length of second spine half that of head. Ventrals 

 usnally reaching to or beyond vent, the pectorals varying from slightly 

 behind vent to slightly behind origin of anal. 



Scales on breast cycloid or weakly <'tenoid, elsewhere on body rough 

 ctenoid. Head completely scaled, the scales on top of head and on 

 cheeks ctenoid, those on snout, maxillary, mandible, and branchiostegal 

 rays much reduced in size and smooth; 40 to 48 tubes in the lateral 

 line; about 95 vertical transverse series above the lateral line, each 

 series under the dorsal fins containing 7 or 8 scales. 



Color {in alcohol). — Light brownish above, silvery on lower half of 

 sides and below (tinged with red in life). Snout and top of head 

 dusky; sometimes a dusky streak from tip of snout to eye, a second 

 one crossing between preocular ridges, and a third, less often visible, 

 on occiput. A diamond-shaped brown blotch on the nape and under 

 front of spinous dorsal, extending downward nearly to lateral line. A 

 small blotch under sixth and seventh dorsal spines. A verj- conspicu- 

 ous saddle- shaped brown crossbar under the eighth to the eleventh 

 spines; this is wider and lighter next the back, becomes narrower and 

 more intense just above the lateral line, then widens into an intense 

 vertically elliptical blotch on middle of sides. A similar less intense bar 

 under soft dorsal and one on caudal peduncle. The lighter portions of 

 these bars show darker spots and mottlings. Those beneath the fins 

 encroach somewhat on their basal portions. Membranes of dorsal fins 

 with ill-defined roundish spots of light brown. Caudal rays with a 

 few elongate olive-brown spots, some of these often forming a vertical 

 series near base of fin; membranes between the rays largely olive- 

 brown on basal three-fourths of fin. A faint dark spot above middle 

 of base of pectoral. Pectorals, ventrals, and anal white, unmarked. 

 Mouth and gill cavity white; peritoneum brown. 



Taken rather abundantly in the Santa Barbara Channel and at first 

 confused with the young of S. saxicola, which this species strongly 

 resembles. Specimens before me are from stations 2949 and 2959, in 

 depths of 155 and oo fathoms. 



Tyjye.—l^o. 47581, U.S.N.M. 



SEBASTODES AYRESII, Gilbert and Cramer, new species. 



Head2f; depth 24; dorsal XIII, 13; anal 111,6; lateral line (pores) 

 42, 44; transverse rows of scales 43. 



Very closely related to yScbastodes rosaceus, but the supraorbital ridge 

 lower, thicker, and without spine. Body oblong, not much elevated, 

 its width about 2 in its depth. Orbit large, 3^ in head, snout about 

 IJ in orbit. Interorbital space concave, 2 in orbit, with a median 

 groove bordered by a pair of ridges diverging backward. Cranial 

 ridges well developed, the preocular, postocular, tympanic, and parietal 

 spines present, sharp. Mouth moderate, jaws about equal, maxillary 

 about 2^ in head, reaching to vertical from posterior border of pupil; 



