1854 Bulletin ^7, United States National Mnscuni. 



very small one at the nostril; some small filaments on the sides and on 

 lateral line. Genoral color that of S. (/randicornis, Cuvier, marbled with 

 yellowish and brown, the belly paler; an obscure blotch on subopercle, 

 another on inferior base of pectoral; caudal with 3 vertical brown bauds 

 on a yellowish ground, 1 at base of lin, the second in middle, the third 

 terminal; eye marked with red and yellow; axillary region entirely 

 whitish ; no small white points on the scales of this region. Length 3f 

 inches. (Poey.) West Indies, north to Florida; recorded from Martinique, 

 Havana, and Clearwater Harbor, Florida. This species, with only 2 of the 

 pectoral rays branched (Goode & Beau, in their description of the Florida 

 typo, say "rays all or nearly all simple"), seems to form a transition to 

 the genus rontinus, which can l)c distinguished from Scorjunui only by the 

 undivided condition of the pectoral rays, {incrmis, unarmed.) 



Scor2Jcena inermis, Cdvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iv, 311, 1829, Martinique. 



(Coll. M. Ricliard.) 

 Scorpcena occipitalis, POET, Memorias, n, 171, 1860, Havana; Poky, Synopsis, 303, 1868; 



Jordan, Cat. Fishes N. A., 109, 1885; Meek & Kewland, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phiia. 



1885, 397, 402. 

 Scorpcena calcarata* Goode & Bean, Proc.U. S. Nat. Mus. 1882, 422, Clearwater Harbor, 



Florida (Type, No. 23566. Coll. Dr. J. W. Velie) ; Joedam & Gilbert, Synopsis, 



952, 1883. 



694. PONTINUS Poey. 



Pontinus, Poey, Mem. Hist. Nat. Cuba, 11, 172, 1800 (castor). 

 Sebastoplus, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Pliila. 1863, 208 (kuhlii). 



This geuus differs from Scorpcena chiefly in having the pectoral rays all 

 simple and their tips only free ; anal with 5 to 9 rays ; suborbital keel com- 

 posed of 3 or 4 distinct, diiferentiated spines, 2 prominent retrorse spines 

 on each preorbital. No pit at occiput; scales ctenoid ; cheeks and oper- 

 cles usually scaly; pectorals not procurrent. The American species all 

 have D. XII, 10; A. Ill, 5. {pontinus; pons, a bridge, referring to the sub- 

 orbital stay.) 



* Here is given Goode & Bean's description of /Scocpoewa calcarata, whicli species Jor- 

 dan and Meek & Newlaud have identified with Scorpcena occipitalis, Poey: 



Scorpcena calcarata, Goode & Bean,: Depth 3. D. XI-I, 9 ; A. Ill, 5 ; P. 19 ; lateral 

 line 28 (25 tubes) . Body moderate, robust ; eye large, nearly 3 in head ; lower jaw slightly 

 projecting, with a small symphyseal knob; maxillary reaching past pupil, its length J 

 head ; preorbital with 3 diverging spines ; suborbital without pit, the bony stay moderate, 

 armed with 2 small spines ; nasal spines small ; interorbital space narrow, with 2 longi- 

 tudinal ridges, its width f length of eye ; cranial ridges rather low, with sharp spines, 

 arranged as in Scorpcena stearnsi. Occipital cavity almost obsolete, represented by a 

 slight depression; preopercular spines 5, the lowermost stout, directed downward and 

 forward, the uppermost rather long, more than i eye; opercular and scapular spines 

 moderate; supraocular flaps minute, a few other small flaps on head; cheeks with rather 

 large imbricated scales ; opercle with some scales anteriorly and on its flap ; breast scaly ; 

 scales of body large, not ctenoid, with few dermal flaps or none ; pores of lateral line very 

 conspicuous ; gill rakers short and small ; dorsal spines rather slender, the longest 2f iii 

 head; longest soft ray 2J in head; anal spines small, the second and third subequal, 3 in 

 head ; last ray largely united to belly by a membrane ; soft anal rays moderate ; ventrals 

 reaching past vent, 1§ in head; pectoral long, 14 in bead, its base oblique (procurrent), 2* 

 in head, the rays all (or nearly all) simple. Color essentially as in Scorpcena stearnsi (hra- 

 siliensis); axil of pectoral whitish, with dusky specks, a black spot at its upper edge; 

 ventrals mostly black. (Goode & Bean.) Clearwater Harbor, Florida. 



