64 U. S. p. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



SCORPAENICHTHYS MARMORATUS, Grd. 

 Plate XVI, Fia. 1. 



Spec. Char. — Membranous flaps upon the upper and posterior part of the orbit, upon the snout, ami at the posterioi 

 extremity of the ma.xillary Ijones. The latter extending to a vertical lino psvasing immediately behind the eye. Two 

 spines of moderate development upon the prcopercle. Fins all well developed. Ground color either light or dark brown, 

 marmorated with black. 



Svs.Scorpamichthys rmrmrjralus, Gni). Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. VII, 1854, 131 and 145; &, VIII, 185C, 133. 

 Uemitrijiterus niarmoratus, Aykes, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sc. I, 1854, 4. 



The head is very large and robustly built, constituting the third of the whole length, the 

 caudal fin excluded. It is nearly as deep as broad upon the occipital region ; the cranial 

 region is sub-depressed and slojjing towards the orbits ; hence very declivous to the end of the 

 snout, which is obtusely rounded. The region of tlie scull, as also the suborbital, temporal, 

 and opercular regions, exhibit the corrugated surface of the bones. The orbital flap is fringed 

 somewhat arborescent, and the largest ; the rostral is flat, triangular, and entire, implanted 

 vertically upon the snout. Those upon the posterior extremity of the maxillaries are smaller 

 still, and fringed. The eye is well developed and sub-circular near the upper surface of the 

 head above which the rim of the orbit is slightly raised. Their longitudinal diameter is con- 

 tained six times in the length of the side of the head. The nostrils are nearer the orbit than 

 the margin of the upper jaw ; as usual, the posterior opening is situated inwardly in advance of 

 the orbit behind the spinous turbinal, whilst the anterior opens on the sides of the snout. The 

 mouth is large, which might be inferred from the development of the head, and the fact that the 

 posterior extremity of the maxillary extends backwards to a vertical line drawn across the 

 posterior rim of the orbit. Two spines, of rather moderate size, may be observed upon the 

 convexity of the preopercle, the uppermost being the largest of the two. The gill openings are 

 continuous under the throat ; the branchiostegals are six on either side. 



The body is compressed much deeper than broad, even anteriorly, with a profile either sub-fusi- 

 form or somewhat thickish, according to sexes and age. The fins are all well developed. 

 The first dorsal, which is composed of eleven spines of nearly equal depth, has about the same 

 height as the second dorsal ; the interradial membrane is emarginated. The origin of the fin is 

 near tlie occiput, even with a vertical Hue drawn across the insertion of the last ray but one of 

 the lower part of the pectoral fins. The base of the same fin is a little less than the fourth of 

 the entire length. The second dorsal, which is contiguous to the first, is composed of nineteen 

 bifurcated rays, inserted over a base somewliat longer than the third of the total length. The 

 caudal is subtruncated posteriorly, and contained about five times in the entire length ; it is 

 composed of nine branched and two simple rays and rudimentary ones. The origin of the anal 

 is situated opposite the fiith ray of the second dorsal, and is not quite so deep as the latter is 

 high ; its base is a little less than that of the first dorsal ; composed of thirteen, some of which 

 bifurcated rays, with the interradial membrane deeply indentated. Tlie extremity of the 

 posterior rays projects slightly beyond those of the dorsal. The origin of the ventrals takes 

 place posterior altogether to the insertion of the pectorals ; these fins are rather long and 

 slender, composed of one spine and five articulated rays ; their extremity does not reach aa far 

 back as the vent, neither as far as the extremity of the pectorals. The latter are very broad, 

 inserted upon the oblique margin of the gill opening, and extending to tlie inferior surface of 

 the head, The rays are sixteen in number ; the nine inferior ones thick and simple, with the 



