NO. 1851. SCORFyENOID FISHES OF JAPAN— JORDAN AND STARKS. 113 



er. Cranial ridgew high and rather bhmt; body stout, the depth 2i in length ;- 

 pectoral broad, reaching front of anal. Color blackish, usually witli yel- 

 low areas, one under each dorsal; lower \rArif^ and fins usually but not 



always profusely spotted with dark pacliyccphahix, 20. 



d(L Interorbital area narrow, deeply concave, with a deep channel between 

 two raised ridges; dorsal spines often 14; cranial spines rather high. Color 

 gray, much mottled and barred with reddish, fins all ])arre(l and mottled; 

 anal spines scarlet in life. Color more variegated than any other species, 

 the size smaller eleyanx, 21. 



15. SEBASTICHTHYS VULPES ( Steindachner and Doderlein). 



Si'huKtcs vulpes Steindaciineu and Doderlein, Fische Ja})ans, III, 1S84, p. 203, 



pi. 11; Tokyo. 

 Scbastodes nilpef! .ToRDxs and Evehm.\xx, Fisli. X. and ]\1. Amer., 11, 1898, p. 1835; 



after Steindachner. 



Head 2| to 2i in length; depth 2i. Dorsal XllI, 13; anal 111, 7; 

 lateral line with 82 pores. Nasal, preocular, postocular, tympanic, and 

 parietal spines mode rately developed; eye 4 to -If; snout -1; interorbital 

 space 5 in head. Maxillary' reaching posterior margin of orbit; lower 

 jaw scarcely projecting, without distinct symphyseal knob. Lower 

 l)order of l)road preorbital wdth 3 blunt lobes; the 2 lower opercle spines 

 broad, blunt, the 3 upper more slender, sharp, the 2 opercular spines 

 strongly diverging; upper end of interopercle, especially in older indi- 

 viduals, with a spine; lower end of subopercle wdth a weaker spine which 

 sometimes divides into several. Snout, anterior part of preorl)ital. and 

 lower jaw scaleless; a few very small scales on maxillary behind and 

 under preorbital (sometimes absent); rest of head thickly covered with 

 rough scales. Several pores on each side under low^er jaw. Inter- 

 orbital space nearly flat, with very weak interorbital ridges. Gill rakers 

 rather long and slender, the longest two-fifths of eye; 21 on anterior 

 of arch. Upper profile rises moderatel}', slightl}' curved at the snout. 

 Fifth dorsal spine longest, 2f in head. Second anal spine stronger, but 

 sometimes a little shorter than third, 2i in head in small individuals, 

 nearly 3 in larger ones. Pectoral equals head without snout, reaching 

 vent in adults, a little l)eyond in young; ventral If to 1^ in head; 

 caudal equaling ventrals, slightly convex. Scales moderately large, 

 with some accessory scales. Peritoneum white. 



Body, dorsal, anal, and caudal fins mingled reddish brown and whit- 

 ish; pectoral and ventral grayish; upper half of head reddish brown, 

 strewn with small dark-l)rown spots which posteriorly almost unite in 

 wavv stripes, or marked like body; lower side of head and body whitish 

 yellow. Sometimes a distinct broad i l)ar of dark brown luidei- mid- 

 dle of spinous dorsal and a less distinct one under soft dorsal. 



This large and strongly marked species is rather rare in Jai)an. Our 

 specimens are from Hakodate, Sam(\ and Miyako in Kikuchu. It is 

 an ally of Seh<(xticht]iys uiallger. 



[I'lilpe^s, fox.) 



Proc. N. M. vol. xxvii— 03 S 



