448 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 76 
a very large species, probably our M/ycteroperca venado- 
rum. 
Head 3 in length; depth 3,; dorsal XI, 16; anal II, 
Il. Scales 100, small, smooth, imbedded, difficult to count. 
Eye 6% in head; maxillary 2%; pectoral 1%; longest anal 
ray 134; longest dorsal 2; longest dorsal spine 3%. Cau- 
dal upper lobe 1%: ventrals 2. 
Body deep, robust; anterior profile rather steep and 
straight: lower jaw moderately projecting. Small canines 
in both jaws: preopercle with notch and a salient angle. 
Gill-rakers about 15-25, rather stout, the longest about 
7% in head; snout 3%. Posterior nostril oblong, 4 times 
as long as anterior. Dorsal spines low, the third and 
fourth but little longer than the last. Dorsal fin pointed 
behind; anal very high, triangular in form; anterior margin 
convex, posterior concave. Sixth soft ray very high, 
reaching far beyond tip of last, which is short; spines 
graduated. Caudal fin broad, on a broad peduncle, un- 
equally lunate; upper lobe longer and broader than lower. 
Pectorals rounded. 
Color olive gray, paler below, clouded with dark above. 
Everywhere covered with small roundish dark olive or 
bronzed spots so thick as to obscure the ground color: 
very close set on head and back, small and distinct, not 
larger than anterior nostril, growing larger and less thick- 
set below; posteriorly still larger, often half diameter of 
pupil, and tending to run together forming elongated 
blotches and vermiculations. Dorsal similarly spotted with 
spots which grow faint on soft rays; pectoral, anal and 
caudal like soft dorsal. All soft fins growing dusky toward 
margin. Soft dorsal, anal and caudal very narrowly edged 
with pale. Pectoral with broader pale margin; ventral 
like pectoral, pale edge narrower. When seen from back 
an appearance of about 10 very faint dusky cross-shades, 
probably very conspicuous in young. 
