Jordan and Evcnnann. — Fishes of North America. 2163 



2491. PBIONOTUS ALBIROSTRIS, Jordan & Bollman. 



Head 3 in length (3f with caudal) ; depth 4i (5f ) ; eye rather large, 4^ 

 in head. D. X-12; A. 11; pores along lateral line 50 to 55. Body moder- 

 ately elongate, little compressed, narrowed above, the width of the nape 

 between the occipital spines being 4| in head ; head rather short and high ; 

 eyes prominent, the anterior profile regularly concave, the eyes and fore- 

 head less prominent than in /'. ruhio. Snout broad, its breadth at angle 

 of mouth almost equal to its length, "Z\ in head, its anterior margin not 

 produced, but slightly emarginate; serrte short an<l even, bluntish, about 

 20 well developed; whole edge of preorbital with fine serrte. Anterior 

 nostril with a large flap. Surface of bones of head with strong radiating 

 stria^, those in front of eyes most broken up into granulations. Mouth 

 moderate, maxillary 2| in head, not reaching front of eye ; band of pala- 

 tine teeth rather broad. Interorbital space narrow, deeply concave, 

 smoother than rest of head, its least width 64^ in head; orbital rim ele- 

 vated, with coarse spine-like stria? in front, inner largest, forming the 

 preocular spine; upper margin with moderate, strong serra^ ending behind 

 in a large, supraocular spine; no groove across top of head behind orbital 

 rim; occipital ridges strong, the inner pair with a few asperities at base, 

 ending in a compressed spine, the outer with stronger seme at base and 

 extending to opposite first dorsal spine ; temporal ridge slightly crenulate, 

 with 2 blunt spines; preopercular spine without a smaller one at base, but 

 with a high sliavp ridge before it, serrulate at base, this ridge not ending 

 in a distinct spine; edge serrulate; suborbital stay with an elevated ser- 

 rulate ridge, but no spine; opercular spine small and blunt, smaller than 

 the strong humeral spine ; no spines on suborbital or preorbital ; membra- 

 naceous flap of opercle scaly. Gill rakers rather short, longer than inter- 

 spaces, the longest rather less than \ eye, 5 most strongly developed. 

 Scales small, those on belly smaller than those on breast, not extending 

 before a line drawn between base of pectorals and ventrals ; about 7 scales 

 between occiput and dorsal; spinous dorsal moderately high, the first 

 spine very strongly serrulate in front, shorter than second, which is \ 

 head ; first ray of second dorsal serrulate at base, the longest ray very 

 slightly longer than snout; longest anal ray 3 in head; caudal subtrun- 

 cate, \\ in head ; pectorals long, reaching to the last dorsal ray or even 

 farther in young specimens, l]'',; in body ; ventrals reaching third anal ray, 

 1:^ in head. Coloration in spirits, grayish, Tinspottod, darkest above, and 

 with darker cross shades; snout and jaws white; the tip of each jaw, a 

 bar across each jaw, and 1 behind angle of mouth, black; a black bar on 

 anterior and another on posterior part of interorbital, the latter extend- 

 ing across the cheek; first dorsal dusky, vaguely clouded with darker; 

 second irregularly spotted, its jiosterior half dusky ; caudal broadly black 

 at base and tip, its middle part yellowish; pectorals dark, with a slight 

 violet shade and traces of darker mottlings; middle of anal dusky; 

 ventrals dusky on upper surface. Pacific coast of tropical America; 

 taken at Albatross Station 3014, in Gulf of California ; also known from sev- 

 eral specimens, the largest 51 inches long, dredged at Albatross Station 2795, 

 at a depth of 33 fathoms. It approaches Prionoius quiescens in technical 



