FISHES — EMBIOTOCOIDAE — EMBIOTOCA OENATA. 177 



This species is so closely allied to E. lineata, that on a former occasion it was identified with 

 it. The general form is most alike that of the latter species, being sub-elliptical. The head 

 seems to preserve the same general proportions in regard to the entire length, but the snout is 

 much more truncated in E. ornata. The frontal outline is also more declivous. The posterior 

 extremity of the maxillary extends to a vertical line drawn behind the posterior nostril, 

 thus not reaching the anterior rim of the orbit. The anterior nostril is the smallest of the two. 

 The eye is sub-circular ; the diameter of the orbit enters four times and a half in the length of 

 the side of the head, its anterior rim being nearer the extremity of the snout than in E. lineata. 

 The branchiostegals are five en either side. 



The origin of the dorsal fin is situated opposite the anterior extremity ot the base of the 

 pectorals ; its eleven spinous rays extend over a base not quite as long as the articulated rays. 

 The latter are but twice bifurcated. The origin of the anal is situated more posteriorly than in 

 E. lineata, as compared to the dorsal. Its structure jjresents likewise some differences worth 

 noticing: there are, as usual, three short spines; then eleven undivided articulated rays, followed 

 by three with signs of division without separation of the branches ; next to these twenty well 

 divided ones, with bifurcations of the second degree only. The caudal fin is missing in the 

 specimen before us. The articulated rays of the ventral fins subdivide three times, with traces 

 of a fourth division in a few ; the insertion of these fins corresponding to a vertical line drawn 

 from the fifth dorsal spine. The pectorals, the rays of which subdivide twice with traces of a 

 third division, extend posteriorly to the vertical of the tenth dorsal spine. 

 The formula of the rays is : 



Br. V : V ; D XI, 24 ; A III, 11 + 3 -f 20 = 34 ; C ? 1, 6, 6, 1, ? ; V I, 5 ; P 23. 

 The ground color above is uniform daik brown^ almost blackish. The flanks and abdomen 

 are yellowish golden with longitudinal stripes of purple along the line of union of the rows of 

 scales. On the thoracic region each scale is provided witli a purple spot upon its middle, whilst 

 the outer portion has the golden hue of the abdominal scales. The head is dark purple or deep 

 reddish brown with sinuating bluish lines on the cheeks and opercular apparatus. 



A specimen of this species, about twelve inches in total length, caught in the bay of San 

 Diego, was received in a rather mutilated state. On being opened we found five young ones 

 still retained within the folds of the ovaries. Most of the brood, we supjiose, had made their 

 escape. Those left measure a little less than three inches in total length, their greatest depth 

 being equal to the third of the length, (Plate XXVI, fig. 11). The scales are all perfectly 

 developed. The spiny rays of the dorsal and anal fins have now the proportional height of 

 those in the adult, but the posterior articulated rays of these same fins are much larger and 

 extend beyond the base of the caudal. The caudal is subtruncated, the central rays are 

 beginning gradually to recede as well as the posterior rays of both dorsal and anal, which must 

 have had a much greater length at a previous period, judging of this by the filaments that 

 dropped from their extremity as we removed the young from the ovaries. The body is light 

 reddish orange, with the peculiar longitudinal stripes very conspicuous. The two anterior 

 thirds of the dorsal, the anterior third of the anal and the base of the ventrals, exhibit a reddish 

 orange deeper than' on the body; the posterior third of the dorsal and anal fins are rather 

 yellowish. An elongated jet black spot exists near the base of the anterior portion of the soft 



23 a 



