Jordan and Evcnnann. — Fishes of North America. 1821 



Sebastes caurinm* Richardson, Voyage of the Sulphui-, Ichthyology, 77, pi. 41, fig.l, 



1845, Sitka, t ' 



Sebastodes caurinus Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 672, 1883. 



2225. SEBASTODES VEXILLARIS (Jordan & Gilbert). 



Eye moderate, high up, 4 to U in head. D. XIII, 16; A. Ill, 6; scales 

 55. Body stout and compressed, back elevated. Mouth rather large, 

 broad maxillary extending behind orbit, its length 2 in head; premaxil- 

 lary on level of lower edge of pupil ; jaws subequal, lower somewhat pro- 

 jecting, but without symphyseal knob; upper jaw emarginate at tip; 

 interorbital space narrower thau eye, occupied by 2 raised ridges, cov- 

 ered by the scales; preopercular spines moderate, some of them usually 

 divided into 2, 3, or 4 at tip, middle one largest; preorbital very broad; 

 suborbital stay short. Jaws naked. Gill rakers rather long and strong, 

 the longest slightly clavate, about 2 in eye. Dorsal spines very strong 

 and high, about as in S. chlorostietus, nearly as high as in S. malujcr, 

 the highest more than i length of head, and rather higher than the 

 very high soft rays ; membrane of spinous dorsal rather deeply incised, 

 but less so than in .S'. malirjir; second anal spine 3 in head, scarcely lonoer 

 than third and not much stronger, about J as high as soft rays; caudal 

 truncate; pectoral shorter than head, not reaching vent, its base rather 

 broad, length 3f in body; ventrals not reaching vent. Bones of skull 

 thick; preocular, postocular, tympanic, and parietal spines present (tym- 

 panic spines sometimes absent), the ridges rather low and heavy; parietal 

 bones far apart; interorbital space 3f in base of skull, somewhat concave; 

 a deeper median groove between 2 small ridges over the mucous canals; 

 ventral process of basisphenoid well developed, mesetbmoid processes 

 compressed, a little elevated ; base of skull straight. Bright pale yellowish 



* The following is the original description of this .species: ''Char. Spec. S. genis iner- 

 mibus, lineia elevatis intra orbitas nullis, spinis nasi utrinque binis, spinis ceteris capitis 

 demissis; parte spmosa pinna; dorsi alta aicuatft; pinnis inimaculatis." Radii- D 13/13- 

 A.o/6; C. 13g; P.9etviii; V.1/5. Plate XLi, fig. 1. Half nat. size. "This species greatlv 

 resembles the S. norvecjieiis in the armature of its head, but diflers in the greater bei"-ht 

 ot Its dorsal spines and the larger size of the scales. It is better armed than the -S'. varia- 

 bilis which, like itselt, is an inhabitant of the North Pacific Ocean, and it differs in the 

 numbers ot its hn rays both from that species and the S. inennis of Japan. It has more 

 resemblancein Its spines to ,S■.mar?n.ora^w.'((Temm.&Schlegel,Fa^m(l.7a^lon. tab 21 ti"- 1) 

 but the markings on the flns differ and the dorsal rays of caunmis are higher than those 

 ot any ot these 3 species. The length of the head and the height of the body are about 

 equal and are contained Zh times in the whole length of the lish. The interorbital space 

 IS flattish, and is scarcely depressed below the margin of the orbit. Besides the usual 

 spine above the nostrils there is a smaller one at the anterior opening. There is an acute 

 point near the middle of the orbital crest, another at the posterior angle of the orbit and 

 a third smaUer one on the temples close beneath it. The lateral cranial cre.«t com- 

 mencing over the temporal spine, is low and even and ends in a similar point.' The 

 suprascapular shows an acute but not elevated edge which ends in a sharp ano-ular 

 point. Another point of the same bone is with difficulty detected among the scales lower 

 down and the scaimla has also a spinous point. The preorbital is divided into 3 shallow 

 truncated lobes, which are a little tiled No ridge can be traced externally across the 

 cheek nor any spines under the eye. There are the usual 5 preopercular angles of spines 

 and 2 opercular ones Two minute teeth exist in the suboperculum and inferoperculum 

 Thi^ POi°t where these bones meet each other. All the spines are closely recumbent. 

 L. nt- tf ""T? of f ales in a longitudinal row, exclusive of some small ones on the 

 base ot the caudal. The specimen, being dried, has lost its colors. Length 15 inches." 

 of lui'-a Tw r"'*J ^luerica. The specimen was procured at the Russian settlement 

 ot Sitka (Richardson, \ oyaM of the Sulphur, page 77.) 

 bv i \m^^^ ^^ very abundant in Sitka Harbor, where many specimens were taken 



