328 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



level of the lower niargiu of the pupil. Lov/erjaw strongly projecting, 

 with a conspicuous synipliyseal knob. Eye very large, longer than 

 snout. Preorbital witli its neck extremely narrow, armed with a slight 

 spine. 



Spinous ridges on to]) of head ver>- low and weak, about as in S. ova- 

 Us, rather lower and narrower than in S. afrovirens and 6'. pinnifjer. 

 The following pairs of spines are ])resent : Xasal, j)reocular, supraocu- 

 lar, tympanic, and occi])ital, five pairs in all. as in S. elongatus. The 

 ridges are most of them i)artly covered by scales. Preocular spine little 

 prominent. Supraocular ridge very little developed, its length two-flftlis 

 that of the eye (in S. clonfjatus two-thirds). Tympauic spine minute. 

 Occipital ridge not conspicuous, the spine depressed. 



Preopercular spines sharp, rather shorter than in jS. elonf/aiiis, but 

 sunilar, the second longest, the points of all directed backward rather 

 than radiating. Opercular spines jiioderate ; bluntish points on sub- 

 opercle and interopercle. Two bluntish suprascapular spines. 



luterorbital space broad, nearly as broad as the eye, somewhat regu- 

 larly convex, the middle being elevated. In 8. elonfjatus, as in most of 

 the red species, the interorbital space is transversely concave. 



Gill-rakers very loif^, slender, and numerous, about 10 + 30, the long- 

 est longer than the supraocular ridge, and about half the dianu^ter of 

 the eye. 



Scales rather small, as in S. ovalis^ in about 65 transverse series, the 

 accessory scales rather few. 



Dorsal fin very low, as in S. oiHili.s, not deeply emarginate, the shortest 

 (twelfth) spine two-thirds the height of the fifth, which is little more 

 than one-third the length of the head. Soft dorsal low, nearly twice as 

 high as long, the highest ray about equal to the longest spine. Caudal 

 fin moderately forked. Anal fin very low, its length about equal to the 

 height of its longest ray. * Second spine much longer and stronger than 

 the third, scarcely shorter than the longest ray. 



Pectorals shortish and rather narrow, the base rather wider than the 

 eye, -the tips reaching beyond the tips of the ventrals to the vent. 

 " D. Xlir, 13 ; A. lil, 7. 



Coloration very similar to that of S. cJonr/atiis, red, with olivc^ mark- 

 ings. There is, however, more blackish and less greenish. 



Ground color bright light red. Body mottled above with dusky olive- 

 green, the ground color forming distinct blotches under the third dorsal 

 spine and under the first and last rays of the soft dorsal. Lateral line 

 running in the middle of a very distinct continuous red stripe, precisely as 

 in S. elongates. Head above witli ]iurplish cross-shades. 0]iercle Avitli 

 a dusky blotch ; two olive shades radiating from the eye. Lips and tij) 

 of lower jaw blackish (red in elongatus). Eyes red. Caudal fin bright 

 red, speckled with dark olive. Spinous dorsal bright red, the ]iosterior 

 part of each membrane blackish ; soft dorsal olive and red ; lower fins 

 bright light red, witli shades of olive-yellow. 



