1874 



Bulletin 47, Uiiited States Natmial Micseiim. 



form the notch. Caudal very broad at base, convex at its posterior mar- 

 gin even when the lin is closed; pectorals broadly rounded, rather short, 

 the longest rays 1^ to 1 i in head, not nearly reaching vertical from vent ; 

 ventral fins If to 2 in head, short and rounded in the young, becoming 

 longer and more pointed in adults; pectoral and ventral rays very broad, 

 especially toward their tips, and much branched; soft rays of dorsal and 

 anal fins cleft on terminal fifth, as in other species, the two halves not 

 diverging; 5 lateral lines on each side as usual, 2 dorsal, a median, and 

 2 ventral; upper dorsal lino continued to beyond middle of second dor- 

 sal fin, usually ending under the fourteenth or sixteenth ray; lower dorsal 

 line and the median line extended to base of caudal; upper ventral line 

 originating below and in front of the pectoral fin, passing immediately 

 above base of ventral to which it does not send a sepiirate branch, and 

 terminating opposite middle of anal fin ; lower ventral line single on breast, 

 forking in advance of middle of ventral fins, the branches passing to base 

 of caudal. In the young the scales are all ctenoid, exce^Jt those in mid- 

 ventral region, breast, prepectoral area, and sides of head, all becoming 

 smooth in adult; snout, subocular ring, suborbital stay, interopercle, and 

 usually the lowermost portion of subopercle, scaleless; basal half or more 

 of caudal and basal third of soft dorsal with the membranes densely scaled ; 

 pectoral basis also densely scaled; scales on breast not greatly reduced, 

 more than \ as large as those on middle of sides; median lateral line with 

 110 pores ; 8 or 9 scales in an oblique series between median line and the one 

 above it. Color in most of our specimens a nearly uniform warm brown, 

 lighter on under iiaxts, marked only with irregular small black spots and 

 lines, which may extend on the dorsal and pectoral fins; anal and ventrals 

 black, the thickened tips of the rays in these and the pectoral fins often 

 white; a large, blackish humeral spot in young specimens, often disap- 

 pearing in adults. One specimen (Iturup Island) has the upper parts, 

 including dorsal and caudal fins, bright reddish, with some dusky blotches 

 and cloudings, the humeral spot conspicuous. The lin rays are as follows 

 in 12 specimens : 



West shore of Bering Sea ; not known from Alaska. We have numer- 

 ous specimens from Rol)ben Island, 1 specimen each from Bering and 

 Iturup islands. Young specimens up to 20 cm. in length have the scales 

 all rough ctenoid as in H. stelleri and H. octorjrammus. Specimens 30 cm. 

 long have most of the scales smooth, a few along middle of sides still 

 ctenoid. In an adult 54 cm. long all the scales are smooth, those on head 

 and nape partially embedded. In shape and general appearance this 

 species very much resembles II. octogrummns. It has a deep caudal pedun- 



