1850 Bulletin //, United States National Museum. 



preoibital, edge of preopercle, over nostrils, and above eyes; preocular, 

 supraocular, tympanic, coronal, occipital, nuchal, and exoccipital spines 

 present. Maxillary reaching to behind eye; lower jaw included. Gill 

 rakers short and thick, about 3-f6; head naked, with the exception of a 

 few embedded scales on preopercle and posterior part of opercle ; scales 

 on body large, many of them with membranaceous flaps. Olive brown, 

 almost black, marbled with light drab; opercular flap with pale edge; 

 the tins much spotted and marbled, all except spinous dorsal, with white 

 margin, more distinct in the young; caudal flu showing 3 indistinct cross 

 bars; axil jet-black, with white spots. Allied to Scorjtwna jilwrnieri Bloch, 

 which species it represents on the Pacific Coast and from which it differs 

 in having a wider and flatter interorbital area; the lower jaw wider and 

 more rounded in frout; the knob at symphysis not so sharp and projecting; 

 the pit behind coronal spines broader and not so deep, and the color 

 darker. Length 15 inches. Pacific coast of America, Guaymas to Panama, 

 generally common on rocky shores. {i.iv6Tr)<;, priest.) 



Scorpwna mystes, Jordan & Starks, Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci. 1895, 491, pi. 52, Mazatlan. ( Types, 

 Nos. 1501, 1616, 1617, 2919, L. S. Jr. Univ. Mus. Coll. Hopkins Exp. to Mazatlan.) 



2244. SCORPiENA GRANDICOBNIS,* Cuvier & Valenciennes. 

 (Lion Fish.) 



Head 2^; depth 2^, D. XII, 9; A. Ill, 5; lateral line 26 (pores). Body 

 rather stout ; deeper than in Scor2)a'na plumlcri and much less variegated 

 in color; sides and head with dermal flaps; flaps on lateral line long; a 

 slight depression below eye; "coronal" spines none; suborbital stay with 

 about 2 small spines, 1 near middle, the other behind ; occipital i)it very 

 deep ; spines of head sharp ; a few scales on opercle ; breast with rudi- 

 mentary scales; supraocular flap very large, Avide, and fringed, more than 

 \ length of head, reaching to beyond front of dorsal; eye about 4 in head; 

 maxillary reaching posterior margin of eye, 2\ in head. Dorsal spines 

 higher than in related species, the highest equal to second spine of anal 

 and about I head. Gray, with brown shades and faint cross bars; sides 

 with numerous bright yellow spots in life; axil dark gray, Avith round, 

 white dots, each surrounded by a dark ring; pectoral largelj' blackish 

 above, a black blotch at base below, the fin largely tinged with yellow, 

 especially on the inner side; sujiraocular filament blackish, with gray 

 fringes ; soft dorsal largely blackish toward the tip ; spinous dorsal chiefly 

 dusky; ventral tipped with Idackish; anal with 3 black bands, caudal 

 with 2, a faint band at its base. Florida Keys to Brazil ; common in shal- 

 low water among alga^, ; a fish of striking appearance, much dreaded by 

 the fishermen. The specimens here described from Key West, {grandis, 

 large; cornu, horn.) 



* The shore species of Scorpcena found in the waters of the United States may be dis- 

 tinguished by the color of the axillary region, as follows : 

 S. guttata, pale, usually unspotted; 1 or 2 dark spots behind it. 

 S. plumieri, jetblack, with a few large white spots. 

 S. brasiliensis, pale, witli several round, blackish .spots. 

 S. inerinis, pale, with dark specks, and a dark spot above. 

 S, grandicornis, dusky gray, with uuiuerous white stellate spots. (Jordan.) 



