38 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 02 Vol. 3 



SCORPAENODES PARVIPINNIS (Garrett) 



Plate 129,C; Figure 138,d 



Scorpaena parvipinnis Garrett, Proc. California Acad. Sci., 1863, p. 105 (type 

 locality, Hawaiian Islands). 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



Bikini Atoll: 6 stations, 7 specimens, 61 to 75 mm. in standard length. 

 Rongerik Atoll: 3 stations, 4 specimens, 56 to 66 mm. 

 Kwajalein Atoll: 1 specimen, 46 mm. 



Description. — Dorsal rays XIII,9; anal 111,5, pectoral i or ii,5 

 or 6; pelvics 1,5; branched caudal 6 + 5; gill rakers on first gill arch 

 about 5 + 1 + 7; number of vertical scale rows from upper edge gill 

 opening to midbase of caudal fin 49 or 50 and pores 23 or 24 ; cranial 

 spines arranged as in figure 138,c^ in the interorbital region. 



Depth 2.8 to 3.0; head 2.3; both in standard length. Snout 3.3 

 to 3.5; eye 3.2 to 3.6; postorbital part of head 2.1 to 2.4; least depth 

 of caudal peduncle 3.2 to 4.0; longest ray of pectoral fin 1.7 to 1.8; 

 longest dorsal spine 3.9 to 4.0; all in length of head. 



Least width of bony interorbital 1.7 to 1.8 in eye; least depth of 

 caudal peduncle in its length 1.4 to 1.6; next to last dorsal spine in 

 last dorsal spine 1.3 to 1.5 and in longest dorsal spine 1.5 to 1.8; 

 length of first anal spine in second 1.9 to 2.3; pelvics reach two-thirds 

 to three-fourths way to vent. 



This species has strongly ctenoid scales on bases and a quarter to 

 half the way out on dorsal, anal, pectoral, and pelvic rays and on 

 caudal fin; the whole side of the head, including maxillaries, are 

 finely scaled. Lips posteriorly and dentaries on under side of head 

 are naked. Cirri on scales of body, some along pores of lateral line, 

 and others on head; those on cranial spines short, mostly simple. 

 Upper jaw with concavity at symphysis and lower jaw with symphyseal 

 knob that fits into it; palatine teeth absent; dorsal spines shorter 

 than soft dorsal fin rays; usually four spines exposed at dorsal base 

 of caudal fin. 



Color in alcohol. — Ground color pale with 4 or 5 pale brownish 

 bars; first two irregular and broken, represented by a brownish blotch 

 on back below bases of second to fourth dorsal spines; the next 

 similar but under fifth to sixth or seventh dorsal spine; third and 

 fourth wide, beginning at base of about eighth dorsal spine and 

 continuing to middle of soft dorsal fin, these two bars separated by a 

 white V-shaped blotch including the next to last dorsal spine; last bar 

 extends across base of caudal fin. In general, pectorals, pelvics, 

 dorsal, and caudal fins with dark spots mostly arranged to form bars; 

 body and head sometimes with numerous small brownish blotches; a 

 pair of somewhat prominent dark spots between bases of postfrontal 

 and parietal spines; usually radiating out from orbit are irregular 



