A IJEVISIOX OF THE FISTTES OF THE 8UBFAMILY SEliAS- 

 TIX^E OF THE PACIFIC COAST OF AMEllICA.* 



By Carl H. Eigenmann aiid Charles H. Beeson. 



The primary object of the present paper is to present analytical 

 keys, synonymy, and bibliography of the viviparous genera of Pacific 

 Sebastin<T3. For the sake of convenience the oviparous genera of 

 Sebastin;e have also been added. The Scorpreniche fall naturally into 

 two groups or subfamilies : the tropical Scorpa^nimiB with twenty-four 

 vertebrae, of which Scorpauui is found in all tropical seas; and the 

 much more numerous Sebastime inhabiting both of the temperate and 

 botli of the colder zones, and which invariably have an increased num- 

 ber of vertebra'. AVhile this subfamily has a wide distribution, the 

 number of species found m the north temperate regions of the Pacific 

 Ocean is much larger than that of all other regions combined. 



The Scorpienime in the region cov'^ered by this paper are all shore 

 fishes in the most restricted sense of the word. The Sebastina-, on the 

 other hand, are rarely found in less than 100 feet of water, except 

 while young, and ranch more fretpiently are found in a depth of (JOO 

 feet. Some of the species live in more than twice this depth. The 

 horizontal as well as vertical distribution of any given spi'cies is usually 

 quite limited; but a single species, Scbftsfosomun rnher^ seems to range 

 from San Diegoto Alaska, and only one si)ecies, Sehastolobus macrochir, 

 a deep sea form, is found off the coasts of both Japan and the TTnited 

 States. The widest range is that of Seha.stomus capensis, found in 

 Cliilean and Cape seas. The following notes by Prof. Eigenmann on 

 the habitat of the San Diego species describe their vertical range:! 



The members of this family * * seem to live at delinite depths, and ou bot- 



tom peculiar to each species or group of species. This does not imply that their 

 distribution is narrowly limited, but that a given species may or may not be found at 

 any point within the limits of its habitat, as the peculiarities of the bottom at a 



* The classification ado])ted by the authors of this paper is based ou their own 

 peculiar interpretation of the importance of certain structural characters. The 

 arrangement and nomenclature proposed will not be. at present at least, followed in 

 the National Museum. — Editor. 



tProc. Cal. Acad. 8ci., 2nd ser., iii, 1890, 11 p. 



Proccieding.s of tlio U. S. Natioii.il Musciiin, Vol. XVII -Xo. 1009. 



375 



