Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North America. 1793 



black. Length 10 inches. Coast of California, from San Diego to San 

 Francisco, in deep water; not rare, {proi-a, prow; gero, I bear.) 



Sehastichthys proriger, Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mns. 1880, 327, Monterey. 



(Type, No. 27105. Coll. Jordan & Gilbert. ) 

 Sebastodes proriger, Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 061, 1883. 



Subgenus ROSICOLA, Jordan & Evermann. 



2195. SEBASTODES PIXMGER (Gill). 



(Flioma; Orange Rockfish.) 



Head 2|; depth 2.i; pectoral 3*. D. XIII, 14; A. Ill, 7; scales 48. Body 

 rather robust, elevated, and compressed; mouth large, oblique, maxillary 

 reaching to below posterior margin of large eye, its length i head; man- 

 dible somewhat projecting, with a knob at tip ;• the middle teeth on a raised 

 ba.se which fits into the emargination of upper jaw; interorbital space 

 as wide as eye, which is 4 in head; space between parietal ridges concave; 

 both jaws, preorbital, maxillary, mandible, and snout scaly, scales on 

 lower jaw smooth; preorbital rather narrow, with 2 spines; preopercu- 

 lar spines long and sharp. Dorsal tin deeply emarginate, its spines rather 

 high, nearly as high as soft rays, longest 2| in head; caudal tin lunate; 

 pectoral fin long, reaching to tips of long ventrals, past vent; base of 

 pectoral narrow, about as broad as eye; second anal spine strong, nearly 

 as long as third, 3 in head. Gill rakers very long and slender, nearly f 

 diameter of eye ; accessory scales numerous, especially on head. Bones 

 of skull thick; parietal ridges quite strong, ending in a spine; preocular, 

 supraocular, postocular, and tympanic spines present, thin, sharp, and 

 slender, their ridges weak; parietal bones well sei^arated, interorbital 

 space convex (concave on each side of center), broad, 3., in base of skull 

 in adult; mesethmoid processes not elevated, ventral process of basis- 

 l)henoid rudimentary; base of skull markedly curved. Ground color 

 light olive gray, profusely blotched with bright clear orange red or with 

 light orange yellow, the red shades predominating above, the pale below; 

 belly nearly white; top of head with cross blotches and marblings of 

 orange, alternating with pale; sides of the head flesh colored, with 3 

 bright orange bands radiating from eye; maxillary with orange touches; 

 lips pale, tinged with blackish; inside of mouth pale; dorsal fin with 

 membrane In'ight orange, a large black blotch occupying membranes be- 

 tween seventh and tenth dorsal spines; this spot is usually distinct, but 

 in old examples sometimes obsolete; pectorals light red, mottled with 

 yellowish ; other fins all bright orange, without dusky tips, slightly mot- 

 tled with paler at base; lateral Hue running in a distinct continuous light- 

 gray streak, which is not crossed by the red markings ; old specimens some- 

 times with large inky blotches on different parts of the body; peritoneum 

 pale. Length 25 inches. Pacific coast of the United States, from San 

 Diego to Puget Sound; one of the most abundant species; constantly 

 found in the markets. {pinnUjer, large -finned. ) 



