Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1795 



Coast of California, San Francisco to San Diego; common in the markets; 

 the bright red coloration differen t from that of all other species, (miniatus, 

 vermilion.) 



Sebastichthys miniatus, JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1880, 70, Monterey. 



(Coll. Jordan <fc Gilbert.) 

 Sebastodes miniatus, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 663, 1883 ; CRAMER, Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci., 



.series 2, v, 1895, 595, pi. 59, fig. 8. 



Subgenus ZALOPYR, Jordan & Evermann. 

 2197. SEBASTODES ALETJTIANUS, Jordan & Evermann, new species. 



Head 2?-; depth 3. D. XIII, 13; A. Ill, 8; scales 55. Gill rakers 4+20. 

 Eye 4 in head; maxillary 2^,,-; snout 4; interorbital space 4 ; pectoral If; 

 ventral 1; third dorsal spine 3f; soft dorsal rays 2^; second anal spine 

 3f; soft anal rays 2; caudal 1^,; longest gill raker | eye. Body rather 

 deep, the back arched, the anterior profile stiff and nearly straight; top 

 of head broad and flattish. Interorbital space very broad with a low 

 naked ridge on either side midway between eye and median line; space 

 011 each side of each ridge concave. Nasal spine sharp ; preocular spine 

 short and sharp; supraocular ridge low, its spine inconspicuous, but 

 present; postocular spine similar; but larger; tympanic similar and still 

 larger. Frontal ridge on either side naked, without spine, but with the 

 short sharp coronal spine behind it, and continuous with it under the 

 scales. Occipital ridge sharp, rather low, ending in a low spine, and 

 with sometimes 1 or 2 spines on its upper surface ; a low cross furrow sep- 

 arating the occipital from the sharp, short, nuchal spine. A sharp, short 

 spine on the orbital rim at base of suborbital stay; 3 others on the orbital 

 rim before it; 3 on the lower edge of the preorbital. Post-temporal with 

 2 or 3 spinous points, a sharp spine behind it above angle of gill opening; 

 a flat spine on the huinerus. Opercle with 2 strong spines diverging, each 

 arising from a ridge on the bone. Two spines at junction of subopercle 

 and interopercle. Preopercle with 5 radiating spines, the second longest, 

 3 in eye. Space between occipital spines nearly flat. Posterior nostril 

 twice as long as anterior. Lower jaw with 4 large mucous pores on each 

 side, lower jaw projecting, the symphysis thickened. Scales rather large, 

 rough ctenoid, deciduous; rough scales on middle of maxillary, and 

 almost all parts of lower jaw. Dorsal spines low, slender; soft dorsal 

 higher. Second anal spine somewhat shorter than third, the soft rays 

 high. Pectoral rather long, not quite reaching vent, but beyond tips of 

 ventrals. Caudals slightly lunate. Color plain uniform brick red, the 

 edge of dorsal, anal, caudal, and ventral -blackish; pectoral without 

 dusky shade; traces of 3 dusky shades across cheeks and opercles; 

 inside of mouth and gill opening coppery red; peritoneum silvery. 

 Aleutian Islands to Kadiak; probably common in water of moderate 

 depth. This strongly marked species is the type of a distinct subgenus, 

 Zalopyr, Jordan & Evermann, characterized by the spinous suborbital 

 and the increased number of cranial spines. The species * is here described 



* Specimens probably of this species have been taken in stomachs of the fur seal (Cal- 

 lorhinus alascanus, Jordan <fc Clark) about Kadiak. It is said that this species and 

 Sebastodes ciliatus are occasionally taken in salmon nets at Karluk, on Kadiak Island. 



