24 



proportions. In weight it seldom, if ever, exceeds fourteen pounds. 

 It is not taken within the bay. In color it is far from uniform, the 

 upper portion of the head and back being blotched with a darker 

 red than the ground tint, inclining to brown. The spines upon the 

 upper surface of the head are small and inconspicuous, and the paired 

 fins long, the ventrals extending beyond the vent, and the pectorals 

 to within four scales of the first anal spine. 



SebastichtJiys melanops, Girard, Black Rock-cod — This fish does not 

 usually attain so large a size as SebastichfJtys ruber or Sebastichthys 

 rosaceus. It is one of the commonest kinds of rock-fish, occurring in 

 the markets almost every day througliout the year. The back of this 

 fish is almost black, inclining to purple, the fins are dark purple, and 

 the sides blotched with purplish black. Besides those taken in the 

 immediate neighborhood of San Francisco, large quantities are sent 

 from Monterey and other localities. ^ . 



Sebasticldhys rosaceus, Girard, Pink-spotted Rock-fish — The species 

 thus named is not the rosaceus of Dr. Ayres, who identified Girard's 

 rosaceus w^ith what has been proved to be a new species, the Sebastich- 

 thys jjinniger of Gill ; but it is identical with the Sebastes helvomacula- 

 tus of the former naturalist. It is smaller even than Sebastichthys 

 nebulosus, not equaling it in length and of much more slender 

 form. The three elongated pink spots along each side are con- 

 stant, and at once distinguish it from every other species. In color 

 it resembles Sebastichthys ruber. Though not so common as Sebas- 

 tichthys avriculatns or Sebastichthys mdanops, or even as Sebastichthys 

 nebulosus, Sebastichthys ruber, or Sebastichthys jyinniger ; it is brought in 

 in considerable numbers. In length it very seldom exceeds twelve 

 inches. It is probable that this species is identical with S. oculatus, 

 Val. 



Sebasticldhys nigrocinctus, Black-banded Rock-cod — This species is 

 reddish-yellow, wdth five or six nearly vertical, broad, cross bands, 

 and usually two or three short bands radiating from the eye ; but 

 these bands are much more developed in some specimens than in 

 others. It is one of of the rarest of our edible fishes, as only single 

 individuals are brought to the market at considerable intervals of 

 time. It is not taken inside the bay. In size it is about eciual to 

 Sebastichthys melanops or Sebastichthys flavidus. There is no mistaking 

 this fish, with its conspicuous black bands across a reddish ground, 

 for any other fish in our markets. 



SebastichtJiys ruber, Ayres, Rough Red Rock-cod. — This, the largest 

 of the genus occurring in our waters, is stated to reach, though rarely, 

 a weight of twenty-five pounds. It is of a uniform bright red, very 

 different from the brownish red mingled with orange red which 

 forms the livery of Sebastichthys pinniger. Inform it is stouter than 

 Sebastichthys pinniger but less so than Sebastichthys nebulosus. It is 

 usually taken outside of the bay, usually from deep water around 

 the Farrallone Islands. It occurs also northward at least as far as 

 Humboldt Bay. By the uniformity of the color, the abundance of 

 supernumerary scales on the large scales, and the peculiar shape of 

 the preopercular spines, this species may readily be distinguished 

 from Sebastichthys pinniger as well as from Sebasticldhys rosaceus, the 

 latter of which strongly resembles it at first sight. The three pink 

 spots of rosaceus are, however, a constant character by which it may 

 be known from young individuals of Sebastichthys ruber; and the 



