SPAROID FISHES OF AMERICA AND EUROPE. 537 



ANALYSIS OF Sl'KCIKS Ol' IIEDIALUNA. 



a. Body ovate-elliptical, its outlines regular; head bluntish, rounded, tlic profile 

 strongly convex; maxillary narrow, not reaching front of ej'e; preorbital nar- 

 row: eye small, IJ in snout, 5 in head; mouth small, terminal, horizontal; jaws 

 with broad bands of slender teeth, the outer compressed, narrowly lanceolate, 

 without evident roots behind; outer teeth similar, growing smaller backward, 

 all somewhat movable; vomer, palatines, and tongue with patches of minute 

 teeth; gill-rakers slender, rather long; preopercle entire. Dorsal spines low, 

 the middle siiines highest, scarcely longer than eye; soft dorsal low, not ele- 

 vated in front, little higher than spines; anal low; caudal Innate, the upper 

 lobe slightly longer; pectorals short and narrow; ventrals rather small; scales 

 thinnish, adherent, with smaller ones intermixed; sides, toj) of head, and 

 jaws closely scaled; head 3$ in length, depth 2i; D. IX, i, 22; A. in, 19 

 Scales 9-58-12. Color blackish, with steely luster, jialer, and often mottled 

 below; sides with faint oblique vertical lines of spots; fins blackish. 



Califokniexsis, 154. 



154. MEDIALUNA CALIFORNIENSIS. (Medialuna.) 



Scor pis calif orniensis Steind., Ichtli. IJcitr., iir, 19, 1875 (San Diego); Jordan & Gil- 

 bert, Syn. Fish. N. A., 1883, 562, and elsewhere. 

 Cicsiosoma californiense Jov(\.a,n, Cat. Fish. N. A., 1885, 92. 



Habitat: Coast of southern California, from Point Concepciou south- 

 ward. 



Etymology: From California. 



This handsome fish is abundant on the rocky coasts of southern 

 California. It reaches a length of alxmt a foot, and is a food-fish of 

 good quality. 



