11. CENTROPOGON. 129 



Description. — ^This species approaches in general habit the genera 

 Sehasfes and Scorpcena, from which it must be separated on accoimt 

 of the number of the dorsal spines, — a much more certain generic cha- 

 racter than the presence or absence of a praBorbital spine, which is 

 found in fishes that cannot be separated from Sehastcs (S. nematoph- 

 thalmus). Having only dried specimens of the present species, I am 

 unable to prove the absence of a cleft behind the fourth gill ; but the 

 similarity ■with C.australis in other characters renders it very probable. 



The height of the body is 3j in the total length, the length of the 

 head four times. The head is slightly compressed, with the upper 

 sui'face rather Hat, its width between the orbits being one-sixth of 

 its length. The ej^e is situated immediately below the upper outline 

 of the head, but does not interfere with it ; its diameter is 5| in the 

 length of the head, and shorter than the snout. The cleft of the 

 mouth is wide, the upper maxillary reaching somewhat behind the 

 vertical from the centre of the eye. Each turbinal and occipital bone 

 terminates posteriorly in a small spine ; three very small spines are 

 visible on the superciliary margin : the pra^orbital is armed with two 

 spines, the anterior of which is fiat, triangular, and directed down- 

 wards; the posterior is elongate, thorn-Uke, shorter than the diameter 

 of the eye, and directed obhquely backwards. The suborbital ridge 

 is flat, without any prominence : the prteoperciilar margin is rounded, 

 and provided with five spines, two of which are situated where the 

 suborbital ridge joins the praeoperculum ; the uppermost is the 

 strongest. The operculum terminates in two prominent spines ; the 

 coracoid spine is hidden beneath the skin. All the head appears to 

 be scaleless, and there are no skinny appendages perceptible. 



The dorsal fin commences at a distance from the occiput which 

 equals the length of the fii'st spine. All the spines are of moderate 

 length : the second is about t^vice the length of the first and two- 

 thirds of the third ; the foiu-th and fifth are the longest, their length 

 being less than one-half that of the head ; the following decrease 

 very slightly in length, the foiu'teenth and fifteenth being nearly 

 equal to each other and to the second. The soft portion is rather 

 more elevated than the spinous, but very much shorter, the length 

 of its base being 3| in that of the spinous. The foiu- posterior rays 

 rapidly decrease in length, and the last (split to its base) is fixed to 

 the back of the tail by a membrane. The caudal fin is scaleless, 

 with the posterior margin slightly roimded ; its length is 5g in the 

 total. The anal commences opposite the soft dorsal, with three rather 

 strong spines ; it is higher than the dorsal. The raj's of thepectoral 

 are branched — the upper ones the longest, the lower ones the shortest; 

 the fin reaches to the vertical from the ninth dorsal spine. The 

 ventrals are inserted immediately behind the pectoral, and fixed to 

 the beUy by a membrane for one-half of their length ; they reach as 

 far backwards as the pectorals, and their spine is strong. 



The jaw-bones, the vomer, and the palatine bones are armed with 

 bands of viUiform teeth ; the vomerine band is crescent-shaped. 

 The scales are small and finely ciliated. 



The fish is now brownish, marbled and variegated aU over with 



VOL. II. K 



