Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1 137 



long as second, the others rapidly shortened ; second dorsal opposite anal ; 

 both fms high and produced backward in a point ; second anal spine 

 nearly as long as third ; caudal squarely truncate. Color deep red, with 

 5 reddish longitudinal stripes, the middle one from snout to base of cau- 

 dal, the others parallel, extending on the head ; another streak on the 

 middle line under the throat ; a narrow streak of pale orange in each 

 interspace ; fms red ; a black spot on the point of the dorsal, on that of 

 the anal, and on each angle of caudal; these fins also edged with white. 

 Length 4 inches. Coast of Cuba, in deep water ; very rare. Here described 

 from Poey's type in the Museum at Cambridge, (ruber, red.) 



Liopropoma rubra, POET, Memoriae, n, 418, 1861, Havana. 

 Chorististitim rubrum, POEY, Synopsis, 291. 



495. STEREOLEPIS, Ayres. 



(JEWFISHES.) 



Slereolepis, AYRES, Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci. 1859, 28, (gigas). 



Megaperca, HILGENDORF, Sitzgber. Ges. Nat. Freunde, Berlin, 1878, 155, (iscMnagi). 



Body oblong, somewhat elevated, little compressed. Head robust, the 

 profile steeply elevated, the forehead broad and flattish. Edges- of pre- 

 opercle and interopercle serrate, becoming nearly entire with age, the 

 interopercle with antrorse spines on its lower border ; opercle with two 

 obtuse spines. Crown, cheeks, and opercles scaly ; snout, preorbital , and 

 jaws naked. Scales small, not strongly ctenoid, their surface rugose, 

 with radiating striae. Mouth large, wide, placed low j lower jaw promi- 

 nent. Maxillary with a well-developed supplemental bone, extending to 

 below the eye. Preorbital wide, only the anterior edge of the maxillary 

 slipping under it. Teeth all villiform, in broad bands on jaws, vomer, 

 and palatines. Branchiostegals 7. Pseudobranchiae very large. Gill 

 rakers very strong. Dorsal fin with 11 low, stout spines, and 10 soft rays, 

 the last spines very much shorter than the middle ones, and all depress ible 

 in a deep groove. Anal fin short, similar to soft dorsal, with 3 low, stout 

 spines ; caudal fin broad, nearly truncate ; soft dorsal and anal scaly ; 

 pectorals moderate; ventrals long, inserted a little before pectorals; 

 caudal truncate or rounded. Vertebrae 26. Pyloric cceca about 7. Size 

 enormous, among the largest of Percoid fishes. This genus contains two 

 species, the gigantic Serranoids known as " Jewfishes," rivaling in size 

 Polyprion cernium, Garrupa nigrita, and Promicrops guttatus. (orepebf, firm; 

 AeTTt'f, scale). 



1535. STEREOLEPIS GIGAS, Ayres. 

 (CALIFORNIA JEWFISH.) 



Head 3 in length; depth 3. D. XI, 10; A. Ill, 8; scales 115. Body 

 oblong, somewhat elevated, little compressed; head robust, the profile 

 steeply elevated, the forehead broad and flattish ; edges of preopercle and 

 interopercle serrate, becoming nearly entire with age ; crown, cheeks, and 

 opercles scaly ; snout, preorbital, and jaws naked ; scales small, not 

 F . N . A . 73 



