40G REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



behind occiput. From this point a few pores may continue forward in a straight 

 line. The fourth lino forks above and in advance of the ventral fins, the uj)per 

 branch extendiuj; for a variable distance on sides of abdomen, the lower very short, 

 extending directly to l)ase of ventrals. In IJ. asper, as well as in all other species of 

 Uexayrammns, the fourth line is not forked, and bends downward to touch in passing 

 the base of ventral fins. 



In younger specimens a black humoral spot is con.spicuous, but this grows less 

 evident with age. 



The spinous portion of the dorsal fin is shorter, and the soft portion, as wt;]! the 

 anal fin, longer tiian in 77. asper. Following are the lin-formuLi- in ten specimens 

 from Unalaska : 



The last ray of soft dorsal and anal is forked and is counted as one in this table. 



The species does not seem to reach as large a size as do other species of the genus. 

 Of numerous specimens, the largest is 285 mm. long. A female, 225 mm. long, con- 

 tains fully developed eggs. The species was obtained by seining in the harbor at 

 Unalaska. It was not seined elsewhere and did not occur in any of the dredge 

 hauls. 



38. Hexagrammus asper Steller. 



No adults of this species were obtained by dredging, but young specimens were 

 taken in large numbers in the shallow waters of Bristol Bay at the following sta- 

 tions: 3228, 3229, 3231, 3232, 3233, 3234, 3239, 3240, 3241, 3243, and 3245, at depths 

 of from 4^ to 14^- fathoms. Seining parties brought in the species but once, a 

 single young specimen and one adult appearing at Unalaska among the prevalent 

 H. ordinatus. The largest individuals dredged measure about 125 mm. in length, 

 the adult specimen from Unalaska 345 mm. 



The characters of the species seem very constant. The dorsal varies from xxiii, 

 19 to XXIV, 21 ; the anal from 23 to 24. In 15 specimens the dorsal formnhe run as 

 follows: XXIII, 19; XXIII, 19; xxiii, 20; xxiii, 20; xxiii, 20; xxiii, 20; xxiii, 20; 

 XXIII, 20; xxiii, 21; xxiii, 21; xxiii, 21; xxiii, 21; xxiv, 20; xxiv, 20; xxiv, 20. 



The anal fin shows the following counts in 12 specimens: 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 24, 

 24, 24, 24, 24, 24. 



The body is in young specimens much more slender than in 77. ordinatus. It is also 

 lighter in color, and lacks the round humeral spot present in the latter. The supra- 

 ocular llap is somewhat smaller, the checiks are more extensively naked, the eye is 

 larger, and the mucous canal system less strongly developed. The snout, cheeks, 

 opercles, and lower side of head are naked, with the exception of a patch of small, 

 loosely imbricated scales on the upper posterior part of cheeks anil the upper third 

 of opercles. The dorsal line of pores is very inconspicuous, and terminates in front 

 of the middle of spinous dorsal. In none of our specimens are there traces of a line 

 of pores on middle of sides. 



The species can bo distinguished at once from all others by the slender caudal 

 peduncle, the shallow notch between dorsals, the fin-formul:r,tho short upper line of 

 pores which etui under anterior half of spinous dorsal, the largely naked cheeks .ind 

 opercles, the simple unbranched fourth lateral line, and the extreme roughness of 

 tlu! scales. 



