82 U. 8. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS ZOOLOGY GENERAL REPORT. 



We have seen specimens of this species measuring from eighteen to twenty inches in total 

 length. We take the former as hasis to our description. 



The greatest depth, which corresponds to the thoracic region, enters a little more than three 

 times and a half in the total length ; hence the &quot;body tapers rather rapidly towards the peduncle 

 of the tail. The head constitutes ahout the two-sevenths of the total length ; its upper surface 

 is spineless and covered with minute scales. A small spine upon the supra-scapular bone, two 

 others upon the edge of the opercle, and from five to seven upon the limb of the preopercle, are 

 all that is observed upon the side of the head, and since they are diminutive in size, the entire 

 head assumes quite an unarmed appearance. The largest are those upon the convexity of the 

 preopercle. The opercular apparatus is covered with scales a good deal larger than upon the 

 cheeks and sides of the snout. The sub-orbital bone, which extends over the cheek, is rather 

 small and inconspicuous. The eye is large and circular, its diameter entering about four times 

 and a half in the length of the side of the head. Both nostrils are situated nearer the anterior 

 rim of the orbit than the edge of the upper jaw. The lower jaw is very prominent, projecting 

 considerably beyond the upper ; the gape of the mouth is oblique upwards ; the posterior 

 extremity of the maxillary, very much dilated, extends to a vertical line drawn inwardly to the 

 posterior rim of the orbit. 



The origin of the dorsal fin is situated opposite, or else slightly in advance of a line drawn in 

 front of the base of the pectoral fins. Its spinous portion, although occupying a greater extent 

 of the base than the soft portion, is lower than the latter. It is composed of thirteen spiny 

 rays, the anterior one of which is the smallest; they increase in height to the sixth and seventh, 

 hence diminish to the twelfth ; the last spine is again higher, though but half the height of 

 the anterior articulated ray. Of the latter kind we observe fifteen which diminish in height 

 posteriorly. The caudal fin enters a little more than five times and a half in the total length ; 

 its posterior margin is concave or semilunar. Three spiny rays (the first one quite small, the 

 other two, stout) and nine articulated ones compose the anal fin. Its anterior margin is 

 situated posteriorly to the anterior margin of the soft portion of the dorsal. The posterior 

 extremity of the ventrals does not extend to the vent. The pectorals are broad ; the ten lower 

 rays are simple, and stouter than the remaining upper ones ; the tip of these fins extends 

 almost as far as the tip of the ventrals. 



Br. VII : VII ; D XIII, 15 ; A III, 8 ; 4, 1, 6, 6, 1, 3 ; V I, 5 ; P 19. 



A smaller specimen than the one from which the above formula was taken, and likewise from 

 Astoria, exhibits thirteen soft and articulated rays to the dorsal fin. The rudimentary rays of 

 the caudal are also more numerous. In the two specimens from Cape Flattery we find in one 

 fifteen, and in the other sixteen, articulated rays in the dorsal fin. The scales are large and very 

 much imbricated, since two-thirds of each scale is covered by its neighbor. The small accessory 

 scales seem to be less numerous than in the foregoing species. 



The upper surface of the head and the dorsal region above the lateral line are almost black, 

 or else of a purplish black. The side of the body is yellowish, with an irregular purplish black 

 spot upon nearly all the scales. The side of the head is of a lighter purplish black. The 

 inferior region is of a soiled yellow, though of a metallic hue. The fins are unicolor, of a 

 dark purple tint. 



