THE FISHES OF ALASKA. 283 



76. Sebastodes alutus (iilliort. 



The collection contains 20 specimens (if this species, representing the following localities:. Dredging 

 stations 3486, 3489, 3490, 3449, 3459, 4223, 4227, 4228 (4 specimens). 4249, (tag no. 2898), 4253 (tag no. 

 2905), 4283, 4284 (3 specimens), 4285, 4289 (5 small specimens and one large example no. 3000), 4290 

 (tag no. 2995), and 4292. These specimens range in length from 4.4 to 15 inches. We have also exam- 

 ined 8 small specimens 3 to 5 inches long dredged among the Santa Barbara Islands at station 2840, and 

 2 specimens (paper tag no. 110 and 111), each about 4.5 inches long, from Albatross station 3599, 

 June 9, 1894, in Bering Sea. These specimens had a number of parasites upon them. 



All these specimens agree in the main with the excellent original description of the species. Speci- 

 men no. 2898, 9.25 inches long, from Eastern Passage (vicinity of Stikine River Delta), shows some 

 differences, the body being more slender, the eye larger, snout longer, maxillary longer, and the mandible 

 more projecting. It gives the following measurements: Head 2.75; depth 3.5; eye 3.1; snout 4.4; 

 maxillary 2.1; dorsal xiii, 15; anal iii, 8; gillrakers 10 + 28. 



The young differ somewhat from the adult. The following detailed description is based on a speci- 

 men (no. 97) 4.5 inches long from station 4285: Head 2.8 in body; depth 3.5; eye 3.1 in head; maxillary 

 2.2; mandible 1.8; snout 4; interorbital 4.8; dorsal xin, 15; ans^liii, 8; ventralsi, 5; pectorals 18; pores 

 47-f-l on tail, about 51 transverse series of scales. 



Fig, 34. — Sp-bastodes alutus Gilbert. 



Body ovate, compressed, both dorsal and ventral outlines gently cui-\'ed; head moderate; mouth 

 medium, .slightly oblique, the tip of premaxillary on a level with pupil, the gape extending to under 

 nostril; maxillary extending to a little beyond vertical at middle of orbit ; mandible to posterior margin 

 of pupil; teeth minute, in narrow bands on palatines, a triangular patch on vomer, bands on upper jaw 

 terminating anteriorly in rounded lobes, leaving a vacant space at symphysis, the teeth each side of 

 vacant space slightly enlarged; band on lower jaw narrow, the sjTnphyscal patch somewhat raised and 

 its teeth somewhat enlarged, this patch fitting into the vacant space above ; lower jaw slightly projecting, 

 entering profile, a small symphyseal knob; tongue rather large, fleshy, acute: buccal cavity rather 

 pale; interorbital space tolerably broad, 1.5 in eye, and very slightly concave; cranial ridges rather 

 sharp and tolerably well defined, the following spines present : nasal, preorl^ital, supraorbital, postorbital, 

 tjTupanic and parietal, all these small, but stout and sharp; a stout humeral spine; opercular 

 spines two, triangular, united at base; prcopercular spines five, rather stout. Scales on jaws, cheeks, 

 and occiput, a barren patch above suborbital stay; scales on body veiy weakly ctenoid, as are those 

 on occiput; scales on jaws, cheeks, and breast cycloid. Dorsal fin rather low, its longest (fifth) spine 

 2.45 in head, longest ray about 3 in head (probably broken); base of fin about 1.8 in body, its origin 

 above tip of opercular flap; distance from tip of snout to origin about 2.9 in body; fin membranes some- 

 what incised, leaving about one-third of the spines exserted ; border of fin not deeply emarginate; anal 

 not high, length of longest ray 2.1 in head, the base the .same length; second anal spine longest, not 

 conspicuously stouter than others, its tip reaching slightly beyond tip of third spine but not to tip of 



