Jordan and Evcrniann. — Fishes of North America. 



1781 



slender, compressed, not very long. Eye large, slightly more than interor- 

 bital width. Scales very small and rough, irregular; accessory scales 

 few. Dorsal spines low, rather slender, tin deeply emarginate, longest 

 spine 3 length of head, scarcely higher than soft rays; caudal emarginate; 

 anal low its spines small, short, graduated, the second shorter than eye; 

 pectorals narrow, rather long, not nearly reaching vent, the base f diame- 

 ter of eye; ventrals shorter, not reaching tips of pectorals. Pale dull 

 orano-e red, dark brown above, the sides somewhat vaguely spotted ; young 

 olivaceous; tins nearly plain, lower reddish; upper dnsljy; tip of lower 

 jaw dark. Bones of skull thick; cranial ridges (except parietals) and 

 spines all obsolete ; small spines usually present in the young, occasionally 

 iu adults; parietal ridges low but distinct; parietal bones usually widely 

 separated; interorbital space convex, broad, very nearly 3 in base of skull 

 iu adult; mesethmoitl processes weak, flat, depressed; ventral process of 

 basisphenoid rudimentary, base of skull (parasphenoid) markedly curved. 

 Length 30 inches. San Diego to San Francisco; abundant in rather deep 

 water. (jj« »ci, few; sjjinfl, spine.) 



Sebastes paucispinig, Ayees, Proc.Cal. Ac. Sci., I, 1854,6, San Francisco; Giraed.F.S. 



Pac. K. K. Survey, x. Fishes, 83, 1858 ; Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Pliila. 1861, 165 ; Ayees, 



Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci. 1862, 215 ; Guntuee, Cat., n, 98. 

 Sebastodes paucispinis, Joedan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 656, 1883. 



Subgenus SEBASTOSOMUS, Gill. 



2181. SEBASTODES FLAVIDCS (Ayres). 



(Tellow-tail Rockfish.) 



Head 3; depth 3; pectoral 4. D. XIII, 15; A. Ill, 9; scales about 60. 

 Body oblong, compressed, back not much elevated. Head rather long, 

 pointed; mouth large, oblique, the maxillary extending to nearly opposite 

 posterior margin of eye, 2 in head ; premaxillaries in front on level of 

 lower margin of pupil. Lower jaw strongly projecting, its symphyseal 

 knob very prominent, but less so than in Schastodes paucisinms. Preor- 

 bital narrow, without spines. Top of head evenly scaled, nasal spines 

 only present and very small. Only the parietal ridges visible under 

 scales. Preopercular spines rather strong, all of them directed strongly 

 backward; opercular spiues moderate; 8ui)rascapular spines small, the 

 upper obsolete. Scales medium ; accessory scales variable. Dorsal spines 

 low, slender, longest 3 in head ; soft rays rather high, fin very deeply 

 emarginate, membrane joining thirteenth spine at about I its height; 

 caudal fin notched; anal spines low, regularly graduated, third spine less 

 than + the height of soft rays, second as long as eye ; pectoral fins shortish, 

 rather broad, reaching tip of ventrals, but not (luite to vent. Olive green, 

 rather pale, plain or finely spotted with yellowish; fins olive, caudal 

 strongly tinged with yellow; young mottled; peritoneum white. Bones 

 of skull rather thick, cranial spines all absent, parietal ridges low, weak, 

 curved, the outer ridges absent ; parietal bones meeting ; interorbi tal space 

 wide, 3 in base of skiUl, nearly evenly convex; mesethmoid processes quite 



