PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 291 



genus. It is frequently seen in the San Francisco markets. It reaches 

 a length of about 15 inches, and is usually known as Garrupa or Grouper. 



Sebastichtiiys rubrivinctus sp. nov. 



Body robust, rather deep and couipressed, tapering behind to a slen- 

 der caudal peduncle. 



Head long, acute in profile, there being a nearly straight slope from 

 a bony prominence in front of the spinous dorsal to the tip of the lower 

 jaw. Mouth rather large, oblique, the lower jaw strongly projecting. 

 Maxillary broad, scaleless, extending to opposite the middle of the eye; 

 anterior edge of iiremaxillary o'n the level of the lower border of the eye. 



Eidges on top of head quite low, five pairs of them ending in spines, 

 which are bluntish and depressed. Nasal j preocular, supraocular, tym- 

 panic, and occipital spines present. In one example the nasal spines are 

 covered by the skin. Ocular ridges not much elevated. 



Interorbital space tlattish, narrow, not so broad as the eye, not wid- 

 ened behind, covered with rather sparse, almost cycloid, scales. Two 

 long frontal ridges extend the length of the interorbital space. These 

 are coveretl with bare skin. Behind and between these are two shorter 

 ridges occui)ying the place of the coronal ridges found in 8. auriculatus. 

 These two are covered by naked skin, and do not end in spines. Tym- 

 l)auic spines well developed. Occipital ridges long, curved, diverging 

 behind. 



Suborbital stay very prominent, its tip nearly reaching the preopercle. 



Preopercle with five very strong spines, the three uppermost very 

 long and sharp, the second the longest. Subopercle and interopercle 

 entire. Opercle above with two sharp, long spines. Suprascapular with 

 two strong spines. Preorbital very wide, its neck two-fifths the diameter 

 of the eye, with one sharp spine and a large prominence, which usually 

 ends in a spine also. 



Eye extremely large, its diameter 3 J in length of head. 



Gill-rakers rather short, rather robust, much compressed, toothed on 

 the inner margin, the longest about one-fourth the length of the eye. 

 Gill-rakers 8 + 20 in number, about 4 + 16 of them being free. 



Scales on head all small and thin, mostly cycloid, the minute acces- 

 sory scales extremely numerous. Scales of body smoother than usual, 

 the accessory scales numerous oh the posterior part and on the nuchal 

 region, where the scales generally are smaller and more crowded than 

 on the flanks. 



Dorsal spines robust, rather high, the fifth the highest, not quite half 

 the length of the head; those behind rapidly shortened to the twelfth; 

 the twelfth spine lower than the first and much less than half the height 

 of the fifth, its membrane joining the thirteenth spine below its middle. 

 Soft rays about equal in height to the spines. Caudal fin very slightly 

 emarginate. Anal rather low, its second spine much longer and stronger 

 than the third, both robust. Pectorals moderate, not reaching vent; 



