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



6. Sebastes elongatus, Ayres, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sci. ii. 

 p. 26, fig. 9. 



Nasal spine sharp, quite prominent ; anterior supraorbital well 

 marked, sharp ; posterior supraorbital forming a crest quite sufficient 

 to leave an intraorbital fossa, and terminating in a sharp spine; 

 postorbital just discernible ; occipital ridge smooth, low, with a free 

 point. Opercular, preopercular, humeral, and scapular spines pro- 

 minent and sharp. Inferior angle of operculum and posterior angle 

 of suboperculum spinous. Second anal spine higher and much 

 stouter than the third. Spinous dorsal about equal in height with 

 the soft portion. 



S. elongatus is readily distinguished from all the other species of 

 true Sebastes by its extreme slenderness, in which respect it closely 

 resembles Sebastodes paucispinis, sometimes even surpassing it. The 

 proportion of depth to length varies from about one-fifth to nearly 

 one-fourth. The figure (given herewith) represents the first speci- 

 men found, which was as slender as any I have seen. In the figure 

 a spine is inadvertently shown on the lower part of the operculum, 

 while the scapular is omitted ; the knobbed projection of the lower 

 jaw is not sufficiently indicated. The colours are well stated in the 

 original description. 



The species appears to be not at all common, few being brought 

 to the markets. They seldom exceed a pound in weight. 



Sebastodes. 



In the species of this division no diagnostic characters can be 

 drawn from the spines of the head, as so little difference is found in 

 them. In all, the nasal, supraorbital, and occipital spines are barely 

 discernible, or cannot be traced at all ; the five preopercular are 

 quite strongly developed, smooth, and sharp (except that in S. pauci- 

 sjnnis the lower one is a blunt projection, with one, and sometimes 

 two sharp points) ; the opercular two are long and sharp ; the hu- 



