Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1783 



dark above, sides paler; upper part of sides thickly marked with small 

 slaty-black blotches; head blackish above; a dark streak on maxillary 

 and one from eye across cheek; fins dusky, dorsal paler at base, with 

 many dark olive-brown spots; a black ocular spot; lower rays of pecto- 

 rals often tinged with orange; peritoneum white. Bones of skull thick, 

 cranial ridges (except parietals) and spines obsolete; parietal ridges 

 moderate, sometimes ending in a small spine; small supra- or postocular 

 spine sometimes present ; parietal bones touching or overlapping in middle 

 third of their length ; interorbital space broad, convex, nearly 3 in base of 

 skull in adult, mesethmoid processes not elevated ; ventral process of basi- 

 sphenoid rudimentary; base of skull (paraspheuoid) markedly curved. 

 Length 20 inches. Monterey to Kadiak, most abundant northward; very 

 abundant at Sitka, where it is called "Black Bass." At San Francisco 

 much less common than S. mystlnus ; about Humboldt Bay much more com- 

 mon, being the most abundant food-fish. (/*/la:, black; ooip, face.) 



Sebastcs melanops* GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., vni, 1854, 135, and in TJ. S. Pac. 



R. R. Surv., x, Fishes, 81, 1858, Astoria and Cape Flattery; AYRES, Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci. 



1862, 213, fig. 66; GUNTHER, Cat., n,98. 



Sebastosotiinis siinulnH.*,'' GILL. Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1864, 147, Cape Flattery. 

 Sebastodex inelanops, CRAMER, Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci., series 2, v, 1895, 592, pi. 58, fig. 4. 



Subgenus PRIMOSPINA, Eigenmann & Beeson. 

 2184. 8EBASTODES CILIATUS (Tilesius). 



Head 3 ; depth 3 to 3. D. XIII, 16 ; A. Ill, 8 ; P. 18 or 19 ; transverse (ob- 

 lique) rows of scales 46 or 47 (+ 3 or 4 on caudal) ; pores in lateral line 46 or 

 47. Body compressed, deep, its width over the base of the pectorals about 2 

 in the depth ; dorsal outline descending rapidly backward in a slight curve 

 from origin of first dorsal to end of second dorsal; depth of peduncle 

 more than 3 in depth of body ; head compressed, profile steep and nearly 

 straight; eye moderate, orbit circular, its diameter a little longer than 

 snout, 3s in head, its posterior rim at about the middle of length of head. 

 Interorbital space strongly convex, its depth a little less than orbit, 3f- to 4 

 in head. Nasal spines small ; cranial ridges and spines all obsolete, except 

 the parietal; parietal ridge very slightly developed, with a minute point 

 or none, covered with scales. Mouth moderate, quite oblique; tip of 

 upper jaw on a level with center of eye; maxillary 2 in head, its pos- 

 terior end reaching about to vertical from posterior edge of pupil; lower 

 jaw a little projecting, with a slight symphyseal knob. Very narrow 

 bands of teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatines. Preorbital moderate, its 

 lower edge scarcely at all indented or entirely continuous, spineless; sub- 

 orbital stay scarcely visible; preocular spines small, the 3 upper directed 

 backward and slightly diverging, nearly equidistant and of equal size, 

 the 2 lower minute or obsolescent; opercular spines small, without visible 



* Referring to Dr. Girard's description of tliis species, Dr. Gill remarks: 

 "It is also proper to remark that 2 species are apparently confounded by Girard under 

 the name Svbastes melanops, 1 with 'a small spine upon the suprascapular bone, 2 

 others upon the edge of the opercle. ' and another from Cape Flattery, with the lower 

 opercular spine as well as the supraorbital ridges obsolete, and the forehead between the 

 eyes perfectly arched. The latter may be named Sebastosomus simulans (uill). 



