42 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN" 2 02 Vol. 3 



base, second from middle of spinous dorsal to abdomen in front of 

 anal fin, third from soft dorsal to anal fin, last across base of caudal 

 fin and slightly on caudal peduncle; spiny dorsal blackish except next 

 to last two spines; basal parts of pectoral, pelvics and anal fins blackish, 

 with distal parts more or less barred; a black spot behind preopercle 

 below upper preopercular spine; head blackish to brownish especially 

 below orbits. 



Subfamily Synanceiinae 



Genus SYNANCEJA Bloch and Schneider 



Synanceia Bloch and Schneider, Systema ichthyologie . . ., p. xxxvii, 573, 1801 

 (type species, Scorpaena horrida Linnaeus, misspelled Syanceja on p. 194 by 

 Bloch and Schneider). 



SYNANCEJA VERRUCOSA Bloch and Schneider 



Plate 129, A 



Synanceja verrucosa Bloch and Schneider, Systema ichthyologiae . . ., p. 194, 



1801 (type locality, India). 

 Synanceia thersites Seale, Occ. Pap. Bishop Mus., vol. 1, No. 3, p. 121, 1901 



(type locality, Guam) ; Kendall and Goldsborough, Mus. Comp. Zool., Mem., 



vol. 26, p. 316, 1911 (Jaluit Atoll, Marshall Islands). 



SPECIMEN STUDIED 



Eniwetok Atoll: 1 station, 1 specimen. 111 mm. in standard length. 

 Rota Island: I lot, 1 specimen, 50 mm. 

 Saipan: 1 lot, 1 specimen, 31 mm. 



Description. — Dorsal rays XIII, 6; anal 111,4 or 5; pectoral 18 or 

 19; pelvics 1,5; caudal fin with 4+5 branched rays. 



Depth 2.3; head 2.3; both in standard length. Snout 3.3; eye 7.5; 

 postorbital part of head 1.7; least depth of caudal peduncle 3.4; 

 longest ray of pectoral fin 1.3; longest dorsal spine 2.4; all in length 

 of head. Least width of bony interorbital 0.5 in eye; least depth of 

 caudal peduncle in its length 0.7; next to last dorsal spine in last 

 dorsal spine 1.1, and in longest dorsal spine (last) 1.1. Pelvics short, 

 not reaching vent. 



This bizarre species has its mouth directed upward, with cirri 

 along lips, and head and trunk everywhere covered with wartlike 

 dermal structures; dorsal spines nearly concealed by thick skin over 

 poison glands; a shallow pit in front of eye and a deeper one behind 

 eye; interorbital deeply pitted. 



Color in alcohol.' — Mottled pale and dark, tips of dermal "warts" 

 white in Marshall Islands specimen; three dark bars more or less 

 distinct, first below front of spiny dorsal, second at rear of spiny 



