Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1217 



on cheeks; 11 vertical rows on opercle to base of spines ; 2 rows on inter- 

 opercle. Spinous dorsal rather low, not notched ; first spine about 1 in 

 second, fourth very slightly longer than third, as long as from tip of snout 

 to middle of eye, 2 in head ; soft dorsal not elevated, first ray 2| in 

 head ; upper lobe of caudal the longer, 1? in head ; lower lobe If in head ; 

 second anal spine strongest, hardly as long as third, which is 3 in head ; 

 first If in second ; first anal ray 3 in head ; penultimate longest, 2^ ia head ; 

 last somewhat shorter ; pectorals pointed, 1 in head, reaching beyond 

 tips of ventrals to vent ; ventrals If in head ; soft dorsal and anal with a 

 few scales. Scales on breast and belly small. Color reddish (probably 

 crimson in life), becoming paler beneath, breast somewhat orange ; a few 

 small, round, pale spots on cheeks and opercles; occiput rather dark; 

 lower jaw dusky; a slight bluish shade on preorbital; anterior part of 

 back with small indistinct light and dark specks; large, quadrate, inky- 

 black spot larger than eye at base of soft dorsal, which involves the basal 

 half of several rays, and extends downward almost to lateral line; in 

 this blotch are traces of three darker spots ; behind this, three much 

 smaller, roundish, black spots, which extend on fin ; below these a row of 

 about 10 round black spots smaller than pupil, on median line of side 

 extending from opposite front of large dorsal spot to base of caudal ; 

 below this series some fainter irregular spots of black ; extending 

 obliquely upward and backward from above tip of ventral fin to lateral 

 line a large, elliptical creamy or silvery blotch which is about as wide as 

 interorbital and as long as snout and eye ; this spot does not reach middle 

 line of belly ; spinous dorsal with 3 rows of diffuse, confluent, black 

 spots separated by pale streaks ; soft dorsal marked with several black 

 spots, which extend upward from body ; above these a pale median longi- 

 tudinal streak ; upper half of caudal red, with a few small black spots, 

 lower lobe inky black, with some pale edgings; outer half of ventrals 

 and anal dusky ; pectorals pale. Length of type 7i inches. In form it 

 agrees very closely with Prionodes ludopercanus, but the coloration is quite 

 different. Coast of Ecuador ; known from a single example, dredged in 

 45 fathoms, at the equator. (cmA/Jof, shining; <my//a, spot.) 



Prionodes stilbostigma, JORDAN & BOLLMAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1889, 158, Pacific Ocean, off 

 the coast of Ecuador, o so 7 S., 89 36' W.; depth 45 fathoms; Station 2809. 

 (Coll. Albatross.) 



Serrcmus tsiUbosiigma, JORDAN & EIGENMANN, Z. c., 409, 1890; BOCLENGEB, Cat., i, 294. 



512. DULES, Cuvier. 



Dules, CUVIER, Regne Animal, Ed. n, Vol. II, 147, 1829, (auriga). 



This genus is close to Prionodes, from which it differs in the possession 

 of but 6 branchiostegals, and in the truncate form of the caudal fin. In 

 one species the third dorsal spine is prolonged in a whip-like spine.* 



*"Par ce nom de doules (esclave) nous avons voulu iudiqucr la ressemblancede ces poiesons 

 avec ceux que depuis longtemps nous avons appelees thi-rapous, nom qui, lui-meme asscx, arbi- 

 traire, n'est que la traduction de 1'epithete donnee a 1'espece de Therapon de"crite le plus ancienne- 

 uient (V Holocentrus serms de Blochj." (Cuvier & Valenciennes.) 



F N A. 78 



