k 



Mr. J. Y. Johnson on new Fishes from Madeira. 69 



Yilliform teeth in the jaws, on the vomer, and on the palatine bones. 

 Lateral line a broad scaleless groove. Six or seven branchiostegal 

 rays. Pyloric appendages in small number. No air-bladder. 



It will be observed that this new genus is closely related to Sebastes 

 and Scorpcena, but more nearly to the former than to the latter. 

 From both it is distinguished by the cycloid scales, the scaleless 

 lateral line, and the absence of spines from the vertex. The single 

 individual on which it has been founded was taken in the month of 

 December 1861, and is now in the British Museum. It was at first 

 assigned to the genus Sebastes, but was at once discriminated from 

 all the species of that genus previously taken at Madeira. With these 

 species I shall compare it throughout my description, with the view 

 of aiding other observers in identifying specimens, if they should occur. 



Setarches GI'ntheri, sp, n. 



D. 11 i. A. |. P. 22. V. i-. C. iv. 7 + 7. iv. 



The height, compared with the total length, is as 1 to 4. The 

 head is large, being contained in the length only 2^ times. It is 

 scaleless, and without prominent spines on the vertex ; the bones are 

 cavernous ; the space between the eyes is flat and marked by several 

 low ridges. At the back of the head are two broad flat spines point- 

 ing backwards. 



The eye is contained 5^ times in the head, and is distant from the 

 tip of the scaleless snout about a diameter and a half. The space be- 

 tween the eyes is considerably more than equal to the diameter, and is 

 to the length of the head as 1 to A\. There are no spines above the 

 postero-superior part of the orbit. The snout is rounded and trun- 

 cate ; its length is equal to one-third of the length of the head. 

 There is a skinny appendage at the posterior margin of the anterior 

 nostril. The opercle is scaly, and is crossed by two strong crests 

 terminating in long spines, which reach up to its edge ; the higher 

 of these spines is to the length of the head as to 1 to 7\. At the 

 border of the scaly preopercle there are five spines, pointing back- 

 wards, of which the three highest are long, narrow, and parallel, the 

 middle one of the three being equal in length to the larger of the 

 opercular spines : these five spines occupy the position of those of 

 Sebastes daciylopteints. 



The mouth is moderately large. The maxillary is broad below, is 

 vertically truncate, and reaches back to the posterior margin of the 

 eye. The under jaw is a trifle longer than the upper, which is notched 

 in front. Both jaws, the palatines, and the vomer are set with bands 

 of villiform teeth. The tongue is free near the apex, is very thick, 

 and has a thin spatuliform projection in front similar to that seen in 

 front of the tongue of S. Kuhlii, which, however, does not reach so 

 far forward as in the case of the present species. The tongue and 

 pharynx are black. The branchiostegal membrane, when the mouth 

 is closed, is almost concealed by the opercular pieces and the very 

 broad mandibular bones. 



The dorsal fin is long, commencing before the root of the pectoral ; 

 its spines are stout, and the soft portion rounded. The anal fin is 

 short, and terminates opposite the termination of the dorsal fin ; its 



