128 CALIFOKNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



239. Stellifer illecebrosus Gilbert. 



Plate XVIII, Fig. 36. 

 Stellifer illecebrosus Gilbert (Jordan & Evermann, 1898, p. 1442). 



Head 3 to 3^ in length; depth 2-^-^. D. XIV, 20 or 21; A. II, 11; P. 19 or 20. 



Body compressed, rather deep, both outhnes curved, the dorsal more than the ventral. 

 Head broad and depressed, but less so than in other species of StelliferHS, the interorbital width 

 equaling distance from tip of snout to front of pupil, 3| in head. Greatest width of head i-f^ to 2^ 

 in its length. Upper profile depressed above the orbits, the snout rather bluntly rounded, overlap- 

 ping the premaxillaries but little. Mouth large, moderately oblique, the gape curved. Ma.xillary 

 reaching vertical from middle of pupil, or slightly behind this point, its length, measured from front of 

 premaxillaries, 2| to 2| in head. Teeth in lower jaw uniform in size, in a villiform band of moderate 

 width, which does not conspicuously increase towards symphysis. Premaxillary teeth in a similar 

 villiform band, with an outer row of enlarged canines, which decrease in size towards the angle of the 

 mouth. Lips thin, but somewhat thicker than in other species of the genus. Five large pores in 

 mandible, and five in snout immediately behind premaxillaries, the inner pair being concealed by over- 

 hanging lobes. Back of these are three minute pores. Horizontal diameter of eye 5! to 5 1 in head; 

 length of snout 4 to 4^; least width of preorbital half the diameter of orbit. Vertical limb of preoper- 

 cle with 8 or 9 rather slender spines, which increase in size towards angle; usually three of those at 

 the angle are enlarged and radiate regularly, or the lowermost may be directed abruptly downwards. 

 The horizontal limb is entire or provided with small flexible spines, loosely attached and projecting but 

 little beyond the integument. Gill-rakers short, slender, the longest nearly half the longitudinal 

 diameter of eye, 5 or 6 above angle of arch, 10 or 11 below. 



Spinous dorsal high, the first two spines strong and rigid, the third to the eleventh weak and 

 flexible, the twelfth to the fourteenth again stronger and rigid. Second spine nearly two-thirds the 

 third which is the longest, if in head. The fin diminishes slowly in height to the sixth spine, then 

 more rapidly to the eleventh which is the shortest. The twelfth to the fourteenth progressively lengthen 

 and belong to the second dorsal, the last being more than half the length of the longest ray. 



Second anal spine long and slender, about two-thirds the height of the longest ray, equaling 

 distance from tip of snout to front of pupil. Last ray of anal under the third before the last of the 

 dorsal. Pectorals reaching to or nearly to the vertical from the vent, if in the head. Ventrals 

 short, the outer ray filamentous, if in head. Caudal double-truncate, sublanceolate, the middle rays 

 projecting much beyond the outer, i J in head. 



Scales cycloid on top and sides of head, elsewhere ctenoid. Lateral line more arched than 

 the back, becoming straight slightly behind front of anal fin. Soft parts of all the vertical fins scaled 

 to their tips. Pectorals and ventrals with series of scales along the membranes. 



Color in life, plain silvery gray above, silvery below. Dorsals and ujiper portion of caudal 

 dusky translucent. Pectorals light straw-color. Ventrals mesially orange-yellow, the inner ray, the 

 outer ray, and the tips of all the rays bright white. Anal deep yellow, the rays margined with black. 

 Lower caudal rays yellow. Gill-cavity dusky, without yellow. 



Three specimens from the Bay of Panama, the largest 255 mm. long. 



As stated below, under Eques viola, the last portion of the original published 

 description of -6'. illecehrosus (Jordan & Evermann, 1898, p. 1442), including the 

 color and some structural details, refers instead to E. viola, and should be transferred 

 to the description of that species. There should be stricken from the description of 

 8. illecebrosus all after the 11th line from the bottom of p. 1442. The statement sub- 

 sequent to this point: "This species is related most nearly to Stellifer minor, in some 

 respects intermediate between Stellifer and Bairdiella " refers, however, to illecehrosus, 



