396 



DR. W. O. AYRES ON THE SEBASTOID FISHES [NoV. 10, 



ridges low and not much crested, but quite discernible ; occipital 

 ridge long, about as high as in S. nebulosus, irregularly serrated, and 

 not ending in any very distinct spine ; the upper two preopercular 

 spines rather sharp, the next two flattened and serrated on the end, 

 the anterior one blunt ; opercular spines flat ; humeral and scapular 

 small. Second and third anal spines about equal in height and size. 

 Spinous dorsal higher than the soft portion. Posterior margin of 

 the caudal nearly even. Colour nearly uniform light crimson, lighter 

 beneath. 



This is the species described by me in 1854 {loc. cit.), but is not 

 the one to which the name is referred by Girard (P. R. Rep. x. 

 p. 78) as a sj'nonym of S. rosaceiis. The two have little close re- 

 semblance, except in colour. The points of difference will be given 

 when speaking of Sebastodes rosaceus. 



S. ruber is not at all rare. It grows to decidedly a greater size 

 than any of the other species, reaching occasionally a weight of 

 twenty-five pounds, and, as the fishermen assert, even greater still, 

 while those of from ten to twelve pounds are quite common. 



5. Sebastes helvomaculatus, Ayres, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. 

 Sci. 1859, ii. p. 26, fig. 8. 



S. ocellatusl, Cuv. {fide Gill, Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci. 1862, 

 p. 278). 



Sebastichthys ocellatus, Gill {loc, cit.). 



Upper surface of the head quite strongly ridged. Nasal and an- 

 terior supraorbital spines sharp, quite prominent ; posterior supra- 

 orbital forming a crest, which ends in commonly two prominent 

 sharp spines ; intraorbital fossa well marked, with two intraorbital 

 ridges ; postorbital spine appearing like a continuation of the poste- 

 rior supraorbital, prominent, very sharp ; occipital ridge somewhat 



