1826 Bulletin ^7, United States National Museum. 



fins the color of the region to which they belong ; head above with 

 duslvy cross shades and faint bands radiating from eye; peritoneum pale. 

 Length 13 inches. Pacific coast of America, from Puget Sound to San 

 Diego; abundant in rather deep water; northern specimens more dull in 

 color than those from San Francisco. {xpv66i, gold; /.leXai, black.) 



Sehastiehthys chrysomelas, Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1880, 455 and 4G5, Mon- 

 terey. (Type, No. 26968. Coll. Jordan & Gilbert.) 



Sebastichthys chrysomelas var. purpureus* Eigenjiann & Eigenmann, West American 

 Scientist 1889, 130, San Diego. 



Sebastodes chrysomelas, Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsi.s, 675, 1883. 



2230. SEBASTODES NEBULOSUS (Ayres). 



(Yellow-spotted Rockfish.) 



Head 3; depth 2|; eye large, 3 in head. D. XIII, 13; A. Ill, 7; lateral 

 line 49. Body roliust, the back elevated, the profile steep. Mouth rather 

 large, the jaws equal, the maxillary 2 in length of head, extending to 

 beyond pupil; jaws naked; preopercular spines short. Gill rakers as in 

 *!?. chrysomelas. Dorsal rather high, considerably emarginate, the highest 

 spines 2 in head, higher than soft rays; caudal truncate; second anal 

 spine 2.V in head, stouter and slightly longer than third, much lower than 

 soft rays; pectorals short and broad, 3i in length, reaching beyond tips 

 of ventrals to vent. Scales rough, the accessory scales numerous. Bones 

 of skull moderately thin; preocular, postocular, tympanic, and parietal 

 spines present, the ridges very higli and strong; parietal bones far apart; 

 interorbital space narrow, 5 in base of sknll, made deeply concave by the 

 very high supraoccipital ridges, with nearly fiat center; ventral process 

 of basisphenoid well developed, mesethinoid processes compressed, thin, 

 much elevated; base of skull straight. Ground color blue black of vary- 

 ing shade, sometimes tinged with yellowish anteriorly, everywhere finely 

 and irregularly freckled and spotted with yellow or white, the light color 

 usually bright and sharply defined; these spots smallest and most numer- 

 ous on head ; a broad irregular yellow band, made of confluent blotches, 

 from between third and fourth dorsal spines, involving their membrane, 

 downward to lateral line, thence backward to base of caudal; fins all 

 black, with light spots at base; under parts soiled yellow; peritoneum 

 pale. Length 12 inches. Pacific coast of America, from Vancouver Island 

 to Point Concepcion; a very pretty species, in rather deep water; abun- 

 dant, {neiulosus, clouded.) 



" Dr. Eigenmann thus describes Sebastichthys chrysomelas pvrpureus: 

 " The supraocular spines are raised much above the surrounding parts. Dorsal in one 

 specimen XIII, 13^, in the other XIV, 12*. Membranes of all the fins dark greenish, tipped 

 with purple. Base ot anal yellow. Head and back dark brown ; lower portions of sides 

 purple; base of pectoral and its upper half brown, tinged with jellow. A purple bar ex- 

 tending from eye downward and backward to subopercle, below which is a greenish band. 

 Gill membranes and membranes below maxillary, breast, and belly dirty yellow ; mandibles 

 purple, lower lip yellow, upper slate blue; membranes between third and fourth and 

 seventh and eighth dorsal spines purple, the color extending on back; a similar spot on 

 and below last dorsal spine ; sides irregularly blotched with purple, this color not forming 

 a band a4ong posterior part of lateral line.' 



Two specimens from the San Diego market. (Eigenmann & Eigenmann.) Whether this 

 IS a distinct species or almply an intensification of the usual black and orange coloration 

 we cannot determine. 



