72 PEOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Lips red, mottled with blackish. Under side of head light red, mottled 

 with darker. Inside of mouth red. 



Fins all bright vermilion; spinous dorsal spotted with olive-gi-ay be- 

 ipw, the membrane posteriorly edged with blackish; soft dorsal spotted 

 below with blackish, a vertical dark olive streak on each membrane; 

 other fins tipped with blackish, the membranes more or less dotted. Ko 

 hUcJc blotch on the spinous dorsal; no distinct pale streak along the 

 lateral line. 



The coloration of Sehastichthys pinniger, which has thus far never been 

 described, is as follows: 



Ground color light olive-gray, profusely blotched with bright clear 

 orange-red, the red shades predominating above, the i)ale below. Belly 

 nearly white. Top of head with cross-blotches and marblings of orange, 

 alternating with pale. Sides of the head flesh-colored, with three bright 

 orange bands radiating from the eye; maxillary with orange touches. 

 Lips pale, tinged with blackish. Inside of mouth pale. 



Dorsal fin with the membranes bright orange, a large hJacJc blotch oc- 

 cupying the membranes between the seventh and tenth dorsal spines; 

 this sj)ot is usually distinct, but in old examples it is sometimes obso- 

 lete. Pectorals light red, mottled with yellowish. Other fins all bright 

 orange, without dusky tips, slightly mottled with paler at base. Lateral 

 line running in a distinct continuous light-gray streak, which is not 

 crossed by the red markings. 



S. miniatus was first known to us from two specimens taken at Santa 

 Barbara. These were provisionally considered as representing a variety 

 of pinniger, but after the examination of an extensive series of specimens 

 from Monterey Bay we were forced to the conclusion that the deep-red 

 forms, although nearly allied to 8. pinnige)\ belong to a distinct species. 

 The difference in color is very marked and the two species may be sep- 

 arated at sight. In life any of the numerous species of this genus may 

 be at once recognized by the color alone, a feature which, circumstances 

 of age and surroundings being equal, is in this group remarkably con- 

 stant. 



This species reaches the same size as S. pinniger, and is brought with 

 it to the San Francisco market, but in much less abundance. 



In the description already published by us of Sehastichthys proriger 

 the specimen measured as ^^S.pinniger^^ belongs to the present species. 



