446 



THE FUK SEALS OF THE PEIBILOF ISLANDS. 



on base of the suborbital stay, three others on the orbital rim before it, and three on 

 the edge of the preorbital. Post-temporal with two or three spinous points, a sharp 

 spine on the postero-temporal and a Hat one on humerus, Opercle with two strong 

 spines diverging, each forming a ridge on the bone. Two spines at junction of sub- 

 opercle and interopercle. Preopercle with Ave radiating spines, the second longest, 

 3J in eye. Space between occipital spines nearly flat. Posterior nostril twice as large 

 as anterior. Lower jaw with four large mucous pores on each side. Scales rather 

 large, rough-ctenoid, deciduous. Rough scales on middle of maxillary and on almost 

 the whole surface of lower jaw. Tip of lower jaw somewhat projecting, the symphysis 

 thickened. Dorsal spines low, slender. Soft dorsal higher. Second anal spine some- 

 what shorter than third, the soft rays high. Pectoral rather long, not quite reaching 

 vent, but beyond tips of ventrals. Caudal slightly lunate. Color j plain uniform brick- 

 red, the edge of dorsal, anal, caudal, and ventral blackish. Pectoral without dusky 



Sebastodeg aleutianus (type), Karluk. 



shade. Traces of three dusky shades across cheeks and opercles. Inside of mouth 

 and gill opening coppery red. Peritoneum silvery. 



The species is here described from fouv specimens dredged by the Albatross on 

 July 20, 1897, in Shelikof Strait, oif Kadiak, Alaska, in 120 fathoms. They are from 

 IJ to 24 feet in length. 



The Species is nearest Sebastodes miniatus, but is well separated from all the other 

 American species by the increased number of cranial spines. It needs comparison 

 only with Sebastodes matzubarce (Hilgendorf), a Japanese species described from Yeso, 

 not known to us. It is evident that this is the red species wrongly identified by 

 Pallas as the adult of his Peroa variabilis, the type of the latter being the Epinephelus 

 ciliatus of Tilesius. One of Pallas's specimens from the Aleutian Islands has been 

 examined by Dr. Jordan and described under the probably erroneous name of Sebast- 

 iohthys matzubarce. 



Specimens probably of this species have been taken in stomachs of four seals in 



