1838 Bulletin //, United States National Mnseiim. 



scarcely at all or very feebly and inconspicuously aculeate, with generally 

 only 1 slight spine. Preorbital spines only small, obsolete teeth on angles, 

 the anterior larger; spines of preoperclo large, equidistant, nearly equal, 

 second slightly the largest ; parallel, horizontal, nearly straight or slightly 

 curved upward; scapula and suprascapula small, no humeral spine; nasal, 

 preocular, supraocular, postocular, tympanic, parietal, and nuchal spines 

 present; spines of head becoming more obsolete in full-grown individuals. 

 Lower jaw with symjihyseal knob. Dorsal fin (as seen in figure) begins 

 slightly behind upper anterior angle of opercle, and the roots of first .and 

 second spines seem close together; third spine highest, the following ones 

 slightly decreasing to the eleventh, last soft ray forked; caudal truncate; 

 second and third anal spines about equal, origin of fin under origin of soft 

 dorsal; pectorals reaching beyond vent, rather abruptly truncate, fan- 

 shaped, the base about equal to orbit; first 2 rays simple, following 9 

 branched, only the tips free, the last 8 simple, exserted for i their length. 

 Ventrals reaching neai'ly to anal, inner ray not attached to body by mem- 

 brane. No lacinite on either head or body, each spine of dorsal tipped with 

 a short filament. Scales ctenoid; cheeks, opercles, maxilla, and breast 

 scaly; snout and lower jaw naked; soft dorsal, anal, and pectoral scaly at 

 base; lateral line nearly straight, 29 to 30 scales, each with a little spine- 

 like point directed toward the tail. Pale flesh color, with 5 darker or 

 brighter irregular broad scarlet bauds, often mottled or suffused with 

 dusky, disappearing m\ middle of sides, the first and smallest under origin, 

 the fourth under end of dorsal fin, the last at base of caudal ; all fins scar- 

 let without spots or l)ars; spinous dorsal mottled, its spines and filaments 

 tipped with white ; soft dorsal, ventral, and anal edged with white ; head 

 bright scarlet; opercle clouded with a large suffused patch of leaden or 

 pale violet black; gill cavity deep mulberry black; back part of mouth 

 and tongue and gullet more or less doej) lead color, approaching black; 

 front of mouth and tongue pale or whitish; iris golden or topaz, shaded 

 Avith brown, pupil violet or opalescent. (Live examples taken in August 

 most brilliant scarlet imaginable, with the bands deeper, but pure intense 

 scarlet; eye singularly beautiful; anal fin broadly edged in front with 

 white.) Peritoneum intense shining inky or mulberry black. Five to 7 

 ca3ca. VertebriT? 10-{-15, rarely 14, including aurostyle. Length 1.5 inches ; 

 probably breeding in summer. (Lowe.) Madeira Islands, rare (Lowe); 

 ofl" eastern coast of United States, from New York to Cape Hatteras and 

 outward, and off the coast of western Florida, in 70 to 373 fathoms. (Goode 

 & Bean.) Very closely related to S. dactyloptcnis, with which it has been 

 confounded, {madenmsis, from Madeira.) 



tiehastes imperialis, Lowe, Fishes of Madeira, 171, pis. 24 and 25, fig. 3, 1843-1800, Madeira; 



not of CuviEE & Valenciennes. 

 Helicolenus maderensis, Goode &. Bean, Oceanic Ichthyology, 250, 1896, Gulf Stream, 



off Cape Charles, Virginia, at Fish Hawk Station 897, lat. 37° 25' N., long. 74° 18' 



W., in 157I fathoms. (Type, No. 26723.) 

 Sebastes dactylopterus, Guntuee, Cat., II, 99, 1860 ; in part. 



