1766 



Bulletin //, United States National Mtiseum. 



present, usually ending in spines: preocular, supraocular, postocular, 

 tympanic, coronal, parietal, and nuchal. Five preopercular and 2 oper- 

 cular spines ; 1 to 3 spines on the suinascapula. Suborbital stay moderate, 

 usiially not reachin<^ preopercle. Gill rakers various, from very long and 

 slender to very short. Scales moderate or small, mostly ctenoid, 35 to 100 

 transverse series. Dorsal fin continuous, emarginate, its formula XIll, 12 

 to 16; anal fin III, 5 to 9. Pectorals well develoi)ed, the base broad or 

 narrow, the lower rays undivided. Caudal slightly rounded, truncate, or 

 slightly forked; soft parts of vertical fins more or less scaly. Pyloric 

 caica 6 to 11. Vertebra-^ 12 -\- 15. Species of varied, often brilliant colors, 

 mostly red. Sexes colored alike. The group inhabits the two shores of 

 the Northern Pacific Ocean; some of the species are extremely localized; 

 exceedingly abundant in rocky places along the west coast of the United 

 States. They seem to disappear rather abruptly to the south of southern 

 California, and the number of species dwindles northward; none Arctic, 



SEBASTODES ROSACEUS. 



Spines: a, preocular; h, supraocular; c, i)ostocular; d, tympanic; c, parietal. 



the bulk of the group inhabiting temperate waters. The vertical range 

 of most of the species is rather limited; some live in and near tide water, 

 and a few species have been taken at a depth of 1,600 feet. All are 

 ovoviviparous, bringing forth great numbers of young, which are nearly | 

 inch in length when born. The species differ greatly in form and arma- 

 ture, and in the extension of the bones of the cranium, but the genera 

 based on tliese difi'erences intergrade too closely to admit of definition, 

 notwithstanding the great differences which appear on comparison of 

 extreme forms. 



The following detailed remarks on the osteology and relations of Sehas- 

 todes are taken from Cramer's memoir, "On the cranial characters of the 

 genus Sebastodes :"'■ 



* Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci ., series 2, Vol. v, 1895, 573-610, pis. 57-70 ; reprinted as Contributions 

 to Biology from the Hopkins Seaside Laboratory, Xo. u. 



