352 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [10] 



at least as long as that of the soft dorsal ; interspace between dorsals 2J- in head ; 

 ventrals 2 in head ; pectorals If ; caudal lunate. Color bluish above, sides aud bellj 

 bright silvery, finely punctate; vertical fins all pale yellow; base of pectorals 

 blackish. Head 3£ in length ; depth 4 ; D. VIII-1 , 20 ; A. II, 21 or 22 ; scales 7- 

 65-9 Politus, 



1. SERIPHUS POLITUS. 



(The Queen-fish.) 



Seriplius politus Ayres, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sci., ii, 80, 1861. Gifc, Proc. Acad. Nat. 

 Sci. Phila., 1862, 18 (name only). Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 

 1880, 456 (San Francisco, Monterey Bay, San Pedro, San Diego). Jordan & 

 Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1881, 48 (San Francisco southwards). Jordan 

 & Gilbert, Syn. Fish. North Am., 582, 1882. Rosa Smith, West American Sci- 

 . entist, 1885, 47 (San Diego). 



Habitat. — Coast of Southern California, north to San Diego. 

 The Queen-fish is common on the coast of Southern California. It 

 reaches the length of about a foot, and is an excellent pan fish. 



Genus II.— AECHOSCIOX. 



Archoscion Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1862, 17 (analis). 

 Isopisthus Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1862, 18 (parvipinnis). 



Type : Otolithus analis Jenyns. 



This genus as understood by us consists of two very closely related 

 species (Isopisthus), and a third species (Archoscion) which is almost 

 exactly intermediate between the typical Isopis thus and Cestreus. 



The resemblance between Archoscion remifer and A. analis is so very 

 close that the two cannot consistently be placed in separate genera. 

 On the other hand, the affinities of Archoscion analis with certain species 

 of Cestreus (as C. bairdi) are scarcely less definite. The separation of 

 Archoscion from Cestreus and of the latter from Otolithus are justified 

 chiefly by convenience. 



ANALYSIS OF SPECIES OF AKCHOSCION. 



a. Distance between dorsal fins about equal to diameter of eye ; soft dorsal with 21 

 rays, its base about 1J times that of anal (Isopisthus Gill). 

 b. Anal rays II, 19; depth 4 in length; pectorals rather long, the middle rays 

 longest, 1$ in length of head; 75 series of scales between opercle and the 

 tail; back not elevated; head compressed; snout not prominent, scarcely 

 longer than the eye, which is 4^ in head ; mouth large, very oblique ; max- 

 illary extending slightly beyond middle of eye, 2 in head; lower jaw strongly 

 projecting, no pores about the chin; front of premaxillaries with two (or one) 

 strong, recurved, movable canines ; sides of upper jaw with two series of minute 

 teeth, the outer series the larger; lower jaw with one or two series of minute 

 teeth iu front, and with a single series of larger teeth and "3 to 6 moderate 

 canines on the sides; gill-rakers 4 + 9, those near the angle rather long and 

 slender; dorsal and anal densely covered with small scales; base of anal, 

 l| iu head. Color in life: bluish gray above, grayish silvery below, top 

 of snout aud tip of lower jaw blackish; inside of mouth yellow, with black on 

 lower lip within; lining of opercles black, bordered with pale orange; dor- 

 sals, caudal, and pectorals yellowish with liue black punctulations ; axil 



