1442 Bulletin //, United States National Mtisciun. 



Subgenus ZESTIDIUM, Gilbert. 



1823. STELLIFER ILLECEBROSUS*, Gilljert. 



Head 3; depth 2f',i; eye 5| to 5| in head; snout 4 to 4f. D. XIV, 

 20 or 21 ; A. II, 11 ; pectoral 19 or 20. Body compressed, rather deep, both 

 outlines curved, the dorsal more than the ventral; head broad and de- 

 pressed, but less so than in the other species of StelUfer, the interorbital 

 width equaliug distance from tip of snout to front of pu])il, 3'! in head; 

 greatest width of head li-', to 2,^, in its length. Upper profih; de- 

 pressed above the orbits, the snout rather bluntly rounded, overlapping 

 the premaxillaries but little; mouth large, moderately obli(iue, the gajie 

 curved; maxillary reaching vertical from middle of pupil, or slightly 

 behind this point, its length, measured from front of premaxillaries, 2f 

 to 2| in head. Teeth in lower jaw uniform in size, in a villiform band 

 of moderate width, which does not conspicuously increase toward sym- 

 physis; premaxillary teeth in a similar villiform baud, with an outer row 

 of enlarged canines, which decrease in size toward the angle of the mouth. 

 Lips thin, but somewhat thicker than in other species of the genus; 5 

 large pores in mandible, and 5 in snout immediately behind premaxilla- 

 ries, the inner pair concealed by overhanging lobes. Back of these are 

 three minute pores. Least width of preorbital + the diameter of orbit. 

 Vertical limb of preopercle with 8 or 9 rather slender spines, increasing in 

 size toward the angle, usually 3 of those at the angle enlarged and 

 radiating regularly, or the lowermost may be directed abruptly down- 

 ward; the horizontal limb entire or provided with small flexible spines, 

 loosely attached and projecting but little beyond the integument. Gill 

 rakers short, slender, the longest nearly J the longitudinal diameter of 

 eye, 5 or G above angle of arch, 10 or 11 below. Spinous dorsal high, the 

 first two spines strong and rigid, the third to the eleventh weak and flexi- 

 ble, the twelfth to the fourteenth again stronger and rigid ; second spine 

 nearly | the third, which is the longest, 1^ in head; the fin diminishing 

 slowly in height to the sixth spine, then more rapidly to the eleventh, 

 which is the shortest ; twelfth to fourteenth progressively lengthen and 

 belonging to the second dorsal, the last being more than h the length of 

 the longest ray; second anal spine long and slender, about | the height 

 of the longest ray, equaling distance from tip of snout to front of pupil; 

 caudal convex, the lower lobe slightly longer than the upper; pectorals 

 short and broad. If to If in head, the iipper angle rounded, not reaching 

 as far back as the ventrals, which equal them in length ; axillary scales of 

 ventrals and pectorals very little developed. Color varying from uniform 

 deep bronze puri)le on body and fins to brownish gray with silvery reflec- 

 tions; lower parts of head and body somewhat lighter; tip of mandible 

 white. Eight specimens, the longest 8 inches, were taken around San 

 .Jose Rock, in the Bay of Panama. This species is related most nearly 

 to StelH/er minor, in some respects intermediate between StelUfer and 

 Bairdiella. In this species, 3 slender inteineurals not connected with dor- 



^ StelUfer minor (Tscliiuli), a related species witli similar opercular armature, is a com- 

 mon food fish of Peru. It reaches a larger size than any of the others. 



