SPAROID FISHES OF AMERICA AND EUROPE. oat 
This genus contains several species found in the western Pacific 
and a single species characteristic of the rocky shores of California, 
They are herbivorous fishes, feeding on seaweeds. 
ANALYSIS OF AMERICAN SPECIES OF GIRELLA, 
a. Body oval, compressed, with very deep caudal peduncle; snout thick, its profile 
evenly rounded; mouth small, subinferior, the maxillary reaching nearly to 
front of orbit; a minute patch of palatine teeth; each jaw with a series of flat, 
tricuspid, movable incisors, behind which is a broad band of smaller ones; no 
teeth on vomer or tongue; cheeks with very small scales; opercles and top of 
head naked; preopercle minutely serrulate at its angle; preorbital as broad 
as eye. Gill-rakers numerous, rather long. Scales firm, weakly ctenoid, those 
on thorax and front of back smaller. Dorsal spines lower than soft rays, with 
an imperfect sheath of scales at their base; anal spines small, graduated, the 
soft rays higher than those of the dorsal; caudal lunate; pectorals short and 
broad, not reaching vent; ventrals short. Air bladder with two posterior 
horns; intestinal canal very long; pyloric ceca numerous; peritoneum black. 
Color dusky green, paler below; young with a large yellowish blotch on each 
side of dorsal. Head, 4 in length; depth, 24; D. x1v, 14; A. 11, 12. Scales, 50. 
NIGRICANS, 145. 
145. GIRELLA NIGRICANS. (Bluefish.) 
Camarina nigricans Ayres, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sci. 1861, 81, f. 22 (California). 
Girella nigricans, Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862, 244; Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. 
U.S. N. M. 1880, 27 (San Diego); Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U.S. N. M. 1880, 
456 (Monterey Bay, Santa Barbara, San Pedro, San Diego); Jordan & 
Jouy, Proc. U.S. N. M. 1881, 12 (Wilmington, Cal., Santa Barbara); Jordan 
& Gilbert, Proc. U. 8S, N. M. 1881, 47 (Monterey, Santa Barbara); Jordan 
& Gilbert, Proc. U.S. N. M. 1882, 363 (Cape San Lucas); Jordan & Gilbert, 
Syn. Fish. N. A., 1883, 560; Rosa Smith, Proc. U.S. N. M. 1883, 234 (Todos 
Santos Bay); Rosa Smith, Proc. U. 8S. N. M. 1884, 553 (San Cristobal) ; 
Jordan, Fish. Indus. U.S., 1, 394, 1884 (Monterey, Santa Barbara); Jordan, 
Proc. U. S. N. M. 1885, 380 (Cape San Lucas); Jordan, Fish. Indus. U.S., 
11, 596, 1887 (Santa Catalina); Evermann & Jenkins, Proc. U. S. N. M. 
1891, 154 (Guaymas). 
Girella dorsomacula Gill, Proc, Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862, 244 (Cape San Lucas); Jor- 
dan & Gilbert, Proc. U.S. N. M. 1882, 363. 
Habitat: Pacific coast from Monterey to the Gulf of California. 
Etymology: Nigricans, blackish. 
This fish is very common on the coast of southern California, reach- 
ing the length of about a foot. It is a food-fish of fair quality. 
XLI. DOYDIXODON. 
Doydixodon Valenciennes, Voyage de la Venus, v, 318, 1855 (freminvillei). 
Type: Doydixodon freminvillet Valenciennes. 
Etymology: Doy, meaning unexplained; d¢0vs, forked; dddv, tooth. 
This genus contains two species, both as yet imperfectly described. 
It is certainly closely allied to Girella and may prove to be inseparable 
from that genus. The only important difference would seem to be in 
the smaller spinous dorsal of Doydixodon. 
