SPAROID FISHES OF AMERICA AND EUROPE. 531 



This genus contains several species found in tlie western Pacilic 

 and a single si)ecies characteristic of the rocky shores of California. 

 They are herbivorous fishes, feeding on seaweeds. 



ANALYSIS OF AMKKICAN SPKCIKS Ol' GIKELLA, 



a. Body oval, compressed, with very deep caudal p«'duncle; snout thick, its profile 

 eveuly rounded; mouth small, subiuferior, the maxillary reaching nearly to 

 front of orbit; a minute patch of palatine teeth; each jaw with a series of flat, 

 tricuspid, movable incisors, behind which is a broad band of smaller ones; no 

 teeth on vomer or tongue ; cheeks with very small scales ; opercles and top of 

 head naked; preopercle mijiutely serrulate at its angle; preorbital as broad 

 as eye. Gill-rakers numerous, rather long. Scales firm, weakly ctenoid, those 

 on thorax and front of back smaller. Dorsal spines lower than soft rays, with 

 an imjierfect sheath of scales at their base; anal spines small, graduated, the 

 soft rays higher than those of the dorsal ; caudal lunate ; pectorals short and 

 broad, not reaching vent; ventrals short. Air bladder with two posterior 

 horns; intestinal canal very long; pyloric cu?ca numerous; peritoneum black. 

 Color dusky green, paler below ; young with a large yellowish T)lotch on each 

 side of dorsal. Head, 4 in length; depth, 2i; D. xiv, 14; A. iii, 12. Scales, 50. 



Nigricans, 145. 



145. GIRELLA NIGRICANS. (Bluefish.) 



Camarina nigricans Ayres, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sci. 1861, 81, f. 22 (California). 



Girtlla nigricans, Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862, 244; .Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. 

 U. S. N. M. 1880, 27 (San Diego) ; .Jordan &, Gilbert, Proc. U. S. N. M. 1880, 

 456 (Monterey Bay, Santa Barbara, San Pedro, San Diego) ; .Jordan & 

 Jouy,Proc. U. S. N. M. 1881, 12 (Wilmington, Cal., Santa Barbara) ; .Jordan 

 & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. N. M. 1881, 47 (Monterey, Santa Barbara) ; Jordan 

 &, Gilbert, Proc. U. S. N. M, 1882, 363 (Cape San Lucas) ; Jordan. &. Gilbert, 

 Syn. Fish. N. A., 1883, .560; Rosa Smith, Proc. U. S. N. M. 1883, 234 (Todos 

 Santos Bay) ; Rosa Smith, Proc. U. S. N. M. 1884, 553 (San Cristobal) ; 

 Jordan, Fish. Indus. U. S., i, .394, 1884 (Monterey, iSauta Barbara) ; Jordan, 

 Proc. U. S. N. M. 1885, 380 (Cape San Lucas); Jordan, Fish. Indus. U. S., 

 II, 596, 1887 (Santa Catalina); Evermann & Jenkins, Proc. U. S. N. M. 

 1891, 1.54 (Guaymas). 



Girella dorsomacitla Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862, 244 (Cape San Lucas) ; Jor- 

 dan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. N. M. 1882, 363. 



Habitat: Pacific coast from Monterey to the Gulf of California. 

 Etymology: Nigricans, blackish. 



This fish is very common on the coast of southern California, reach- 

 ing the length of about a foot. It is a food-fish of fair quality. 



XLI. DOYDIXODON. 



Doydixodon Valenciennes, Voyage de la Venus, v, 318, 1855 (freminviUei). 



Type: Doydixodon freminviUei Valenciennes. 



Etymoh)gy: i>ot/, meaning unexplained; (itcooc;, forked; odojv, tooth. 



This genus contains two species, both as yet imperfectly described. 

 It is certainly closely allied to Girella and may prove to be inseparable 

 from that genus. The only important difference would seem to be in 

 the smaller spinous dorsal of Doydixodon, 



