58 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.85 



defined at eighth to tenth spines, membranes entirely blackish over 

 greater terminal portions. Soft dorsal with subbasal dark or brown- 

 ish band. Anal with grayish transverse band medially. Pectoral 

 with few indistinct grayish spots on each of upper rays. 



Type.—U.S.^M. no. 98897. (6462.) D. 5305. Lat. 21° 54' K, 

 long. 114°46' E., China Sea, vicinity of Hong Kong. In 37 fathoms. 

 October 24, 1908. Length 98 mm. 



Also several paratypes from the China Sea and the Philippines 

 in 34 to 45 fathoms. 



Remarks. — An interesting small species, known by its coloration 

 and characters in combination. Its profile is less steep than in Scor- 

 paena and its eye smaller in specimens of similar size. Character- 

 istic are the dark bands on the dorsals and anals. 



{fxkyds, great+XcTTts, scale.) 



SCORPAENA GIBBIFRONS, new species 



Figure 23 



Depth 23/5; head 2, width 1%. Snout 4% in head from snout 

 tip; eye 3%, greater than snout, or interorbital ; maxillary reaches 

 % in eye, expansion 1% in eye, length 2 in head from snout tip; 

 teeth finely villiform, in moderate wide bands in jaws, and narrow 

 band on vomer and each palatine; interorbital 7, deeply concave, 

 with deep median channel. Gill rakers 6 + 12, of which 3 or 4 rudi- 

 mentary above and below; clavate, 3 in eye; gill filaments % of gill 

 rakers. 



Pair of small nasal spines; pair of small antero-supraorbital and 

 3 pairs of posterosupraorbital spines, followed by pair of occipitals 

 and nuchals, of which latter much longest; 2 small spines on upper 

 hind orbital edge, followed by 2 large postocular spines and a supra- 

 scapular ; 2 preorbitals posterior larger and directed down and back ; 

 suborbital stay with 3 spines ; preopercular spines 5, uppermost long- 

 est and with small prebasal spine; then third spine below equally 

 long though intermediate or second spine small ; 2 wide set opercular 

 spines, upper much larger, about opposite; broad, strong spine on 

 humerus. 



Scales 28 + 2 along and close above course of lateral line; tubular 

 scales 21 + 1? in lateral line; 5 scales above, 8 below; 7 predorsal for- 

 ward to occiput ; 3 postocular. Head scaled on postocular, cheek and 

 opercle, otherwise naked. Scales on chest and breast rather large, 

 small on pectoral and caudal bases. Lateral line complete, high at 

 first, axial; tubes large, simple and well exposed. No fleshy flap in 

 pectoral axil. Scales with 11 to 14 basal radiating striae; 50 to 62 



