STONE-BASS. 



47 



GENur; POLYPRION. 



Form of tlic haili/ arol oiid compressed. Scales small n-il/i sltarp spines. The Ijo)iij ridge on llic outside of the 

 operculum extendinfi to tin: spine at the point of this liouc, hi'/h cud. like the spinous rays of the ventral fins and 

 most of the spinous rays (the anterior at least) in the dorsal and anal fins, sharply dentated or tvarty (during 

 youth at least). Preorhital hones., preoperculum, suhoperculum, interoperculum and shoulder-girdle dentated. Head 

 scaly, with the exception of the sjnnous or warty ridges and osseous lines of thr exterior hones, and also of the 

 lips. Villiform, in older specimens cardiform teeth on the intermaxillaries, the mandihie, the vomer, the palatine 

 Imnes and the tongue. Numerous (70) pyloric appendages, forming several hunches". I'seudohranchi(e well deve- 

 loped. Branchiostegal memhranes separate, each with 7'' rays. Dorsal fin continuous, ivith from Id to 12 spinous 

 rays'. In the ancd fin 3 spinous rays, its hase heing (dmuf ('(piid in length to the Ijase of the soft-rayed part of 



the dorsal. In the caudal fin 15'' hranched rays. 



Of this cosiuopolitan genus, which belongs to the I in this s])ecies is, however, of litth- importance, unless 



(leptiis of the ocean, Steindachneu hns in recent ti- , it he an indication of juvenile characters still pre- 



nies' described a new species from Juan Fernandez j served. With this exception the only species we know 



and the Island of St. Paul. The difference of form | is tiic lung famous 



STONE-BASS OR WRECK-FISH (sw. vuakfisken). 



POLYPRION AMERICANUM. 



Fig. 12. 



Breadth of the interorlntal space equal to or greater than the length of the gill-cover, sometimes equal to the 

 least depth of the tail and from !'/„ to 2 times the longifiidinal diameter of the orhit. 



Fig. r2. Stone-bass (Polyprion americanum) from Sardinia. ^ ^ of tlic natural size. Drawn from a specimen belonging to the 



Zoological Museum of the University of Copenhagen. 



" D.*y, I. c. According to GCnther, 1. c, there are only 2 pyloric appendages, according to Mobeau, 1. c, C. 



* Sometimes 8. 



' Steindacu.vkr, I. c. 



'' 14, according to v. DCbes and Koren, 1. c. 



•■ Mth. Deilr.. II, i: Sitzber. Akad. Wiss. Wien, LXXI, i, April 1875, p. 1 (sep.). 



