1822 Bulletin 4.7, United States National Museum. 



red, becoming lighter below, the reddish and yellowish forming large and 

 irregular areas, sometimes one shade predominating, sometimes the other; 

 a pink cross blotch on back at base of second and third dorsal spines 

 sometimes present; upper parts of head mostly pink, with broad olive 

 shades running backward, 1 on lower lip, 1 on maxillary, 1 from preorbital 

 region downward, 1 from eye backward and downward across cheek, and 

 another across opercular spines; fins all pinkish red, membranes olive; 

 vertical fins narrowly edged with dusky ; top of head usually with alter- 

 nating cross shades of pinkish and yellowish ; yellowish shades sometimes 

 replaced by light olive ; other specimens are quite red ; still others brown- 

 ish; light areas on back have a position similar to that of the rosy spots 

 in Selastodes constellatus; peritoneum white. Length 2 feet. Coast of 

 California, San Diego to Cape Mendocino, very common ; one of the larger 

 species, (vexillaris, standard bearing.) 



Sebastichthys vexillaris, JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1880, 292, Santa Barbara 

 Channel; San Francisco. (Type, No. 27087. Coll. Jordan & Gilbert.) 



Sebastodcs vexillaris, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 672, 1883; CRAMER, Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci., 

 series 2, V, 1895, 602, pi. 66, figs. 28 and 29. 



2226. SEBASTODES MALIGER (Jordan & Gilbert). 



(YELLOW-BACKED ROCKFISH.) 



Head 2|; depth 2. D. XIII, 13; A. Ill, 6; scales 47. Body oblong, 

 robust; head large; mouth moderate, the jaws nearly equal when closed; 

 maxillary reaching to opposite posterior margin of eye, its length about 

 that of head; preorbital moderate, with an angular lobe; preoper- 

 cular spines very short ; opercular long. Gill rakers moderate, somewhat 

 clavate, about as long as pupil. Scales rough; jaws naked. Dorsal 

 spines very high and strong, higher than in any other species, the mem- 

 branes very deeply incised, so that % or more of the length of the highest 

 spines is free anteriorly; highest spine about length of head, the fin 

 deeply emarginate ; soft dorsal high, but lower than the spines ; caudal 

 truncate ; anal high, the second spine 2 in head, little higher than the 

 third, not height of soft rays; pectorals very broad and rounded, 

 reaching beyond ventrals to vent; base of fin broader than eye, the lower 

 rays thickened, its length 3 in body. Bones of skull moderately thin ; 

 preocular, postocular, tympanic, and parietal spines present, strong, sharp, 

 the ridges high and thick; parietal bones well separated; interorbital 

 space 4 in base of skull, deeply concave, with rather high ridges over 

 mucous canals; ventral process of basisphenoid well developed, meseth- 

 moid processes compressed, strong, much elevated; base of skull nearly 

 straight. Color warm yellowish brown, the anterior portion of the back 

 and sides usually clear yellow; breast yellow; anterior part of body and 

 head, especially in the adult, closely covered with small round spots of a^ 

 clear orange-brown "color ; posterior part of body darker than anterior, 

 variously mottled; soft fins all slaty black, the pectorals and dorsal paler 

 at base and speckled; brownish shades radiating from the eyes; perito- 

 neum pale. Length 20 inches. Pacific coast of America, from Monterey 



