Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North America. 1139 



(roh/prion oxygeneion) is recorded from Juan Fernandez and about New 

 Zealand. {'iro?J'c, many ; npiuv, saw, from the numerous serrations on 

 liead and iins.) 



1536. POLTPRION AMEBICAXUS (Bloch & Schneider). 



(Wkeckkish; Stone Bass; Ckrnier.) 



Head 3 ; depth 2| to 3^. D. XI, 12 ; A. Ill, 8. Body robust, moderately 

 elevated; mouth large, the maxillary reaching posterior border of eyes; 

 teeth in villiform bands on jaws, vomer, palatines and tongue : supraocular 

 region, supraclavicle, post-temporal, preopercle, and aridge on the opercle 

 spinigerous; dorsal fin low, with 11 strong spines : caudal rounded ; anal 

 spines short, serrate anteriorly, the third much the longest; ventrals 

 large ; pectoral short. Color grayish brown, the caudal edged with white ; 

 young clouded with light and dark. This large fish is not uncommon off 

 the coast of Europe in deep waters of 300 fathoms or more, the young 

 only swimming near the surface, especially southward. It is said to live 

 most abundantly about wrecks ; hence the common name of wreckfish. 

 It reaches a length of 5 or 6 feet. A single young specimen has been 

 taken in the deep waters of the Gulf Strean\ by the United States Fish 

 Commission, but there is no other record from America. (Eu.) 



f AiiiphiprioH americanns, Bloch & ScHNElDEK, Syst. Ichth., 205, 1801, PI. XLVii; (based ou a 



drawing sent by Latham to Schneider representing some fisli called in America "girom;'" 



called Amphiprion anxtraUx on pi. 47). 

 Scorpsetia massiliensis, Risso, Ichth Nice, 184, 1810, Marseilles. 

 Polyprion cernium, CrviER, in Valenciennes, Mem. du Museum, xi, 265, PI. xvir, 1824, France; 



CuviER & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iii, 21, pi. 42, 1829; Guntuer, Cat., i, 169. 

 Holocentrtts gulo, Risso, Europe Meridionale, iii, 367, 1826, Nice. 

 Se-iTamis cotichii, Tarrell, British Fishes, Ed. 1, 12, 1836, Great Britain. 

 Pulypi-ion oxygenius, Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 632, 1883, (not Epiiiepkelus o:inigeneios, Bi.ocH & 



Schneider, which is the New Zealand species). 

 Polyprion americanux, Jordan, Cat. Fish. N. A., 83, 1885, (after Amphiprion americamts, Blocii & 



Schneider); Boulenger, Cat., i, 148. 

 Polyprion ceniiuin, Jordan & Eioenmann, 1. c, 342, 1890. 



497. GONIOPLECTRUS, Gill. 

 (Spanish Flags.) 



Gonioplectnis, Gin, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci., Phila , 1862, 236, 237, (hispanum). 



Body short, deep, with very short tail, covered with small scales, the 

 lateral line running high, bent posteriorly. Mouth large ; maxillary with 

 a supplemental bone ; dentition essentially as uiEjrhiejjhchis ; preopercle 

 with a large antrorse hook ; opercle with sharp spines; posterior nostril 

 slit-like ; gill rakers long and slender. Dorsal spines 8 in number, low and 

 stout; soft dorsal and anal short ; anal spines strong ; pectoral rounded, 

 its upper rays longest. This well-marked genus contains a single species, 

 allied to Plectrojwma and AJphestes, but with a stronger opercular armature 

 than is found in any other genus. According to Poey, the skull " shows 

 a great affinity with Hypoplectrus. Thus it is rounded above, the supra- 

 occipital crest is below the level of the frontals ; the other crests are low." 

 (ywvi'a, angle; nlijuTpoi', spur.) 



