452 THE PUE SEALS OP THE PRIBILOP ISLANDS. 



spot. Younger specimens are often lighter, resembling B. aielleri, with small silvery 

 spots on sides and reddish fins, often showing very conspicuously 7 V-shaped or 

 quadrate hlackish blotches at base of dorsal fin, and 5 black radii diverging from 

 eye. The anal fin is usually black in adults, but often shows oblique cross bands 

 in the young. D., XIX or XX, 22 to 24 ; A., 22 to 25. Kurile Islands to Unalaska 



H. OCTOGRAMMUS. 



yb. Fourth line of pores simple, long, passing close to ventral fin. 



c. Cheeks and opercles largely naked, a patch of scales on upper portionsof cheeks and oper- 

 cles, and a small patch sometimes present on middle of cheeks. First and fourth 

 lateral lines very short, variable, the first rarely extending beyond middle of spin- 

 ous dorsal, the fourth to middle of ventrals, rarely beyond. Lower line forked in 

 front of middle of ventrals. Caudal fin narrow, emarginate when closed, less 

 densely scaled than in other species, the scales large, in single series. Commonly 9 

 scales in an oblique series between third lateral line and the one above it. Scales 

 on sides of head, breast, prepectoral area smooth, elsewhere strongly ctenoid. 

 Dorsal fins less deeply notched. Caudal peduncle narrow, the depth less than 

 length of snout. Supraocular flap small, shorter than diameter of pupil. Color 

 in varying shades of gray and brown or light reddish, blotched, marbled or barred 

 with dusky and usually with numerous round silvery spots nearly as large as 

 pupil. In brightly marked specimens there is a series of quadrate dusky blotches 

 along base of dorsal fin, continued on base of fin, much as in H. octogrammus. 

 Like the latter there are radiating dark streaks around the eye, of which the two 

 anterior are the most conspicuous and permanent. No humeral spot. D., XXIII 

 (XXII to XXIV), 19 to 21; A., 23 or 24. Size small. Kamchatka to Puget 



Sound H. STBLLERI. 



ec. Cheeks and opercles largely scaled; the subocular ring, the region overlying the suborbi- 

 tal stay, and the interopercle alone naked. 



d. Supraorbital flap long and slender, densely fringed, its length about equaling vertical 

 diameter of orbit. Scales most cycloid, a hand of ctenoid scales often present on 

 post-axillary region. A small patch of teeth often present on front of palatines. 

 First and fourth lateral lines long, usually reaching beyond the middle of soft dor- 

 sal and anal. Caudal very broad, rounded posteriorly, even when fin is closed ; tlio 

 membranes covered hasally with small scales, those on median membranes in sev- 

 eral series. I)orsals very deeply notched. Eight or nine scales in an oblique series 

 between second and third rows of pores. Colors usually bright, but varying 

 through green, brown, and bright red, usually dark green with large round red 

 spots, but extremely variable and sometimes finely mottled. D., XX, 23; A., 22. 

 Bering Island (Bean) to Monterey H. supbrciliosus. ' 



dd Supraorbital flap small, little if at all longer than diameter of pupil. 



e Caudal very broad, the posterior margin convex even in closed fin. Scales of 

 moderate size, those on breast more than half as large as those on sides of body. 

 Scales all strongly ctenoid in the young, except on breast, prepectoral region, 

 and sides of head, all becoming smooth in adnlts. First and fourth lines long, 

 extending beyond middle of dorsal and anal. Fifth line forking in front of middle 

 of ventrals. Eight or 9 scales in an oblique series between second and third rows 

 of pores. Eye small, less than one-fifth length of head in a specimen 23 cm. long. 

 Pectoral and ventral rays wide, appearing dilated at tip, concealed in very thick 

 fin membranes. Ventrals short and broad in the young, not pointed. Color, plain 

 brown or reddish, with dusky mottlings on dorsal region; a large round humeral 

 spot. Fins not conspicuonsly marked. D., XXII (XX to XXIII), 22 to 24; A., 22 



to 24. Size large. Kurile Islands to Bering Island H. lagockphaliis. 



ee Caudal narrower, the posterior edge emarginate when fin is closed. Scales smaller 

 than in any other species, those on sides of head and breast minute, nearly uniform, 

 less than one-fourth the size of those on sides of body. Eleven or 12 scales in an 

 oblique series between second and third lines. Scales on mid-ventral region, 

 breast, prepectoral are.n., and sides of head smooth, all others strongly ctenoid 

 throughout life. First lateral line extending beyond middle of second dorsal. 



