Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North America, 1823 



to Sitka, mostly in deep water; very abundant northward; one of the 

 largest species, {mains, mast; fjcro, I bear.) 



Sebastichthys jnaliger, Joedan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1880, 322, San Francisco. 



(Type, No. 27091. CoU. Jordan & Gilbert.) 

 Sehastodes maliger, Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 673, 1883; Cramer, Proc. Cal.Ac. Sci., 



series 2, V, 1895, 602, pi. 66, fig. 30. 



2227. SEBASTODES GILBERTI, Cramer. 



Head 2,V; depth 2f to 3. D. XIII, 13; A. Ill, 6; P. 17; transverse 

 (oblique) rows of scales 40 to 42; lateral line (pores) about 39 to 42. 

 Body somewhat compre.ssed, its width over base of pectorals nearly 2 in 

 the depth (over the shoulders). Head compressed; profile steep, nearly 

 straight; preocular, postocular, tympanic, and parietal spines and ridges 

 present, all rather delicate, the spines somewhat appressed, the parietal 

 ridges diverging backward in slight outward curves. luterorbital space 

 1* in orbit, a little concave, with a pair of low ridges and a shallow median 

 groove between them. Orbit high up, nearly circular, 4 in head, its pos- 

 terior rim at about middle of length of head. Preorbital scarcely lobate 

 on its margin, usually with 1 short triangular spine posteriorly; sub- 

 orbital stay not visible externally; preopercular spines all directed back- 

 ward, the 2 uppermost closer together than the others, the 2 lowermost 

 weak ; opercular spines rather small, sharp, without visible ridges ; mouth 

 nearly horizontal, the tip of the upper jaw nearly on a level with the lower 

 rim of the orbit; maxilliary 21 in head, its posterior end reaching about 

 to vertical from posterior rim of orbit ; lower jaw very slightly projecting, 

 with a slight syniphyseal knob. Teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatines, the 

 bands on the latter narrow. Gill rakers rather slender, 2 to 3 in orbit, 23 

 on anterior limb of first arch. Fourth dorsal spine highest, 1|J in head; 

 the membrane of the first dorsal very deeply incised, reaching only i of 

 the way up on the anterior side of the third, and about i of the way up 

 on the fourth spine, nearly to the tip of the twelfth, and about halfway 

 up on the thirteenth spine; soft rays lower than the spines, about IJ in 

 the longest spine; caudal fin truncate, with 11 or 12 full-length rays, about 

 li in head; second anal spine longer and much stronger than the third, 

 2| in head, li in the soft rays; pectoral fin reaching to or a little beyond 

 vent, 3i in length of body, the median rays longest, the 8 lower rays 

 unbranched and thickened, base of fin 3 in its length; ventrals reaching 

 not quite to vent, the spine about equal to third anal spine. Scales rather 

 small, those of body, cheeks, and interorbital space all ctenoid, those of 

 breast cycloid; maxillary with minute scales, lower jaw and top of head 

 naked; accessory scales few, some of them ctenoid. Color in formalin: 

 head blackish above; lips dusky; a dark band from front of orbit for- 

 ward along side of snout; a dark stripe on maxillary; a blackish oliva- 

 ceous band from preorbital backward and downward across preopercle; 

 another broader band from posterior rim of orbit across preopercle and 

 lower endof subopercle; a dark blotch on opcrcle; a blackish area in 

 front of dorsal and in front of first and second spines, extending with 



