1844 Bulletin 4.7, United States National Mtcseum. 



atrong, nearly vertical. Preorbital Tcry wide, without prominent ridges, 

 its inferior border lobate, with 2 or 3 small spines ; no pit under orbit, but 

 a broad shallow depression under whole length of orbit; suborbital ridge 

 quite far from eye, equidistant from lower edge of eye and upper edge of 

 maxillary, its carina composed of 3 or 4 minor ridges, each beginning 

 above the one in front of it and ending below the one behind it; a single 

 small spine at posterior end of last ridge. Uppermost preoiiercular spine 

 longest, a little below the line of suborbital ridge, with a small spine 

 above its base in line with the ridge; the second, third, and fourth spines 

 successively smaller, the fifth obsolete. Opercle with 2 somewhat diverg- 

 ing flat ridges, ending in strong spines; 3 thin, sharp, plate-like ridges on 

 shoulder; first 2 scales of lateral line with bony keels. Mouth very large, 

 nearly horizontal, wholly below inferior edge of orbit; maxillary reach- 

 ing beyond iiosterior edge of orbit, very slightly more than 2 (2^) in 

 head; jaws equal, the lower without prominent symphyseal knob; broad 

 bands of teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatines. Pseudobranchi.ne large, 

 reaching down nearly to epihyal bone; gill rakers very short, broad, with 

 many minute spines, about 12 in all, about 8 developed and 3 or 4 rudi- 

 ments. Scales moderate, mostly cycloid (or very weakly ctenoid); ver- 

 tex, interorbital space, snout, cheeks above suborbital ridge, and l)oth 

 jaws naked; smaller, embedded scales behind orbit, on base and flaji of 

 opercle, and below suborbital stay; breast scaly. Anterior nostril with 

 laciniate flaps. Supraocular flaps minute; numerous flaps on sides of 

 body and prcopercle, preorbital, and under lower jaw; a few minute ones 

 on sides of head. A very broad continuous flap, width about Ih in orbit, 

 aboA'e base of pectoral, parallel with edge of opercle. Origin of dorsal 

 opposite upper angle of gill opening, not deeply notched, the spines only 

 moderately esserted; third and fourth spines equal, longest twice as long 

 as first, about 2f in head, the following spines gradually and slightly 

 decreasing to the eleventh, which is a very little longer than first; longest 

 soft rays about equal to longest spine; caudal truncate, If in head; 

 second anal spine a little longer than third, about 2f in head; soft rays a 

 little longer than second spine, reaching base of caudal; pectoral 3i in 

 length of body, reaching nearly to origin of anal, the base procurrent, its 

 width 3i in head, the 11 or 12 lower rays a little thickened, simple, hardly 

 at all exserted, the next 8 or 9 rays much longer, branched, the upper- 

 most one simple; ventrals reaching a little beyond vent, 2 in head. 

 Color in alcohol: Top of head and sides dark brown with a slight wash of 

 cherry red, belly white; cheeks under eyes mottled with light and dark; 

 3 to 5 small dark l)ands or spots between orbit and suborbital stay; soft 

 dorsal dark; membrane of spinous dorsal and base of soft dorsal strongly 

 washed with cherry red ; a similar spot on opercular flap; some of the 

 flaps of the sides of same color, others white; pectorals with 3 dark 

 bars alternating with lighter, the axils cloudy; caudal with 2 broad 

 dark bars, the lighter bands much mottled with white ; posterior part of 

 sides with several white spots; a narrow black band across top of 

 peduncle just in front of caudal;* peritoneum white. Length 9 inches. 



* Jenyns quotes Darwin's color notes: '! Whole body scarlet red, fins rather paler, with 

 small irregularly shaped black spots." 



