390 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [48] 



This group is composed of small species, all American, allied to 

 Bairdiella and Ophioscion, but distinguished by the remarkably spongy 

 and cavernous structure of the bones of the skull. The septa are re- 

 duced to the thinness of the walls of honeycomb. The skull is also 

 very broad and much depressed between the eyes. 



The generic name Romoprion was based on a species each of Stelliferus 

 and Bairdiella. It was restricted by Gill to the former group, and 

 should therefore be regarded as a synonym of Stelliferus. TVe have not 

 examined the paper of Stark, but we understand that Stelliferus is a 

 latinization of Cuvier's "Les Stelliferes," based on Bodianus stellifer. 



ANALYSIS OF SPECIES OF STELLIFERUS. 



a. Preopercle with two spines only, the upper directed backward, tlie lower more or 

 less downward. 



b. Jaws subequal, the mouth very oblique; teeth of lower jaw unequal, notvilli- 

 form, those of the inner series eularged ; mouth very large, oblique, 

 the jaws equal, the snout not projecting beyond the premaxillaries, 

 which are on the level of the eye; maxillary 2 in head, extending 

 beyond eye ; interorbital width nearly half head ; preopercle with 

 two spines ouly, the upper directed backward, the lower downward ; 

 body robust, subrhomboidal ; profile steep, straightish ; snout short, 

 prominent, as long as eye, 4$ in head; teeth of the upper jaw ante- 

 riorly in two separated series, the outer of which is composed of en- 

 larged teeth ; posteriorly in a broad band of villiform teeth; gill- 

 rakers long and slender, scarcely shorter than eye, 21 + 27 ; dorsal 

 spines low, the first two and last two somewhat thickened, the rest 

 slender ; highest spine 2 in head ; caudal rounded, shorter than 

 head, l£ in head ; second anal spine robust, 1| in head ; ventrals li in 

 pectorals, which are slightly longer than the head ; scales about head, 

 on breast, antedorsal region, and several series along the base of the 

 dorsals cycloid, the rest ctenoid ; bases of anal and soft dorsal densely 

 scaly ; a series of scales ou membrane of each spine in the dorsal fin. 

 Color dusky above, pale below, with some silvery luster ; middle of 

 sides conspicuously punctulate ; upper fins all brownish, punctulate 

 with darker; ventrals, anal, and pectoral pale, the anal and peel oral 

 dusted with darkpoints ; opercle blackish within; head 3£in length ; 

 depth 4^. D.XI-I, 24 ; A. II, 8; scale s7-48-6 Oscitans, 48. 



bit. Jaws not equal, the lower jaw included ; mouth less oblique ; teeth of lower jaw 

 subequal, in a narrow, villiform band, 

 c. Mouth large, maxillary 2 in head; lower preopercular spine directed down- 

 ward and backward; body moderately deep, the anterior profile 

 straightish and steep, a litlle depressed over the eyes; eye rather 

 large, 4£ in head ; snout 4*- ; interorbital area broad and flatfish, its 

 width 2^ in head ; head narrower and less depressed than in S.fiirllii ; 

 mouth oblique, the lower jaw included, the premaxillary in front, a 

 little above lower edge of pupil; maxillary 2 in head, reaching to 

 posterior margin of eye; teeth of lower jaw in a narrow band of 

 about 3 series, those of the inner series very slightly enlarged ; gill- 

 rakers extremely long aud slender, about X + 30, the longest slightly 

 less than eye ; preopercle strongly rounded, the lower spinule di- 

 rected backward and downward; scales large; lateral line becom- 

 ing straight over the anal spine: caudal pointed; longest dorsal 



