Jordan and Evcrmann. — Fishes of North America. 1859 



below second and third dorsal spines, rays all small; ventral under pec- 

 toral, reaching vent, about 2 in head, its spine eciual to maxilla. Vent 

 under ninth spine of dorsal. Color (of alcoholic specimen) light orange; 

 caudal with a few small dusky blotches ; the other fins pale. Not so deep- 

 bodied as Pontiniis kuhlii, but its gill rakers, dorsal iin, and the ridges of 

 head and of the scales are similar. Length 5 inches. Gulf of Mexico, off 

 coast of western Florida, in moderately deej) water. (Goode & Bean.) 

 {Jotu/isjjinis; longus, long; spina, spine.) 

 PonUnus lonffisjnnis, GooDE & BEAN, Oceanic IcMhyology, 258, fig. 246, 1896, Gulf of 



Mexico, at Albatross Station 2402, 28° 36' N., 85° 33' 30" W., in iii fathoms. E(Tyre, 



No. 39323.) 



2253. POXTINUS SIERRA (Gilbert). 



Head 21; depth 3. D. XII, 10; A. Ill, 5; P. 18; lateral line 2.5 (tubes). 

 Body of moderate depth ; the snout sharp ; caudal peduncle slender, wedge- 

 shaped, least depth less than i head. Eye large, equaling snout, 4 in head. 

 Mouth large, the lower jaw wholly included, the dentigerous portion of 

 premaxillaries shutting outside of mandible, with a deep notch anteriorly, 

 which receives tip of mandil)le. A strong symphyseal Icnob. Maxillary 

 in adults, about reaching vertical from posterior border of orbit, nearly 

 i length of head. Teeth in broad l)and8 on jaws, vomer, and palatines. 

 Interorbital space narrow, concave, with a pair of low ridges much diverg- 

 ing behind, its width 2^ in orbit. Head very rough, the spines com- 

 pressed, knife-like, disposed in 6 well-defined series, the upper containing 

 the nasal, the conspicuously projecting preocular, the supraocular, post- 

 ocular, tympanic, occipital, and nuchal spines ; parocciptal ridge contain- 

 ing a single spine immediately behind orbit, and 1 at its posterior 

 extremity; the bridge across cheek very strong, its ridge continued for- 

 ward onto preorbital bone and containing 4 very strong spines ; margin of 

 preorbital with 2 diverging spines; upper spine of preopercle very 

 strong, in line with suborbital ridge, with a smaller spine at base; 3 

 other preopercular spines below this, directed downward and backward, 

 the lower nearly obsolete in adults. No pit on occiput or below front of 

 eye. Gill rakers short and broad, about as high as wide, the longest about 

 i diameter of pupil, 7 in number on anterior limb of arch. Dorsal spines 

 weak, very low, the longest equaling diameter of orbit, the eleventh ^ 

 this length; soft dorsal short and high, its longest ray 2^ in head; caii- 

 dal truncate, its length equaling length of snout and eye ; anal spines 

 not very strong, the second slightly longer and stronger than the third, 

 its length equaling length of snout, 1^ in soft rays; ventrals not reach- 

 ing vent; pectorals with narrow nonprocumbent base, their width aboirt 

 equaling eye, the rays all simple. Scales large, thin, everywhere ctenoid, 

 covering breast, cheeks, opercles, top of hpad, and a part of snout; want- 

 ing on maxillaries and mandibles; head with simple slender filaments, 

 usually 1 to each spine; each scale of sides with a fringe of minute fila- 

 ments around edge. Color, light red, with irregular dark greenish olive 

 markings on upper half of sides; a blotch of same color below eye, 1 

 above opercular spine, and a few rounded spots on soft dorsal, more 



