126 
Fishery Bulletin 106(2) 
ted coloration of S. aleutianus, falling well within the 
variation of our material examined. 
Sebastes melanostictus (Matsubara, 1934) 
Blackspotted rockfish 
Figures 3—8; Tables 1, 2, 4, 5 
Sebastodes melanostictus Matsubara, 1934:206 (origi- 
nal description, one specimen: holotype FAKU 101043, 
male, 507 mm, “Prov. Kazusa”). 
Sebastodes kawaradae Matsubara, 1934:207 (origi- 
nal description, one specimen: FAKU 101042, male, 
361.7 mm, Japan “off Miyako, near Morioka”). 
Sebastes melanostictus'. Matsubara, 1943:209 (new 
combination). 
Diagnosis 
This species of Sebastes is distinguished from all other 
species, except S. aleutianus, in having eight pairs of 
head spines and two or more infraorbital spines. It is 
distinguished from S. aleutianus by the following com- 
bination of color patterns and morphological and genetic 
characteristics: body and spinous-dorsal fin spotted or, 
rarely, without spots, dusky overall with diffuse mot- 
tling on dorsum; dorsal-fin spine 1 longer, 1.0-1. 8 times 
into orbit length, 5. 9-9. 6% SL (vs. 1. 5-3.0 times into 
orbit length and 4. 3-7.2% SL); dorsal-fin spine 4 longer, 
12.0-18.4% SL (vs. 9.8-15.5% SL); gill rakers longer, 
3.9-7. 1% SL (vs. 3. 4-6. 3% SL), and more numerous, 
30-36 (vs. 29-34) (Table 2). Genetically diagnosed by a 
combination of the presence of protein variants ACP*46, 
either IDDH*500 or *750 or both, either PGM-2*83 or *74 
or both, and XO*109 (Hawkins et al., 2005); homozygos- 
ity at microsatellite allele juSma6*177 (Gharrett et al., 
2005, 2006); and mitochondrial haplotype A of Gharrett 
et al. (2005, 2006). 
Description 
D XII-XIV (XIII), 12-15 (14); A III, 7-8 (7); PI 17-19 
(18), 5-10 (7) simple; lateral-line pores 30-36 (31), scales 
40-56; infraorbital spines 2-12 (5); gill rakers 30-36 
(8-11 + 21-26) (33: 9+24); vertebrae 26-27 (10 + 16-17) 
(27, Matsubara, 1934); pyloric caeca 9-12. Meristic 
frequency and statistical data are presented in Tables 
1, 2, 4, and 5. 
Body robust, depth at pelvic-fin base 31.3-40.1 (37.5) 
% SL; relatively slender at anal-fin origin 22.8-30.5 
(28.7) % SL, profile of dorsal margin of head gently slop- 
ing from dorsal-fin origin to snout, dorsal rim of orbit 
included in lateral margin of frontals. Mouth large, 
with posterior end of maxilla extending between pupil 
and posterior rim of orbit to just beyond the posterior 
rim of the orbit; maxilla length 17.2-21.5 (20.0) % SL; 
symphyseal knob moderately pronounced with blunt tip; 
lower jaw length 21.6-27.1 (25.9) % SL; mandibular 
pores large to moderate in size. Cranial spines strong, 
often rough. Nasal, preocular, supraocular, postocular, 
tympanic, coronal, parietal, and supratemporal spines 
invariably present; all major head spines strong, except 
for the coronal spines, which are weak; supraocular 
and postocular spines and parietal ridge often rough; 
sphenotic spines obsolete, occasionally moderate in size. 
Interorbital region wide, 5. 6-9. 2 (8.8) % SL, flat to 
slightly concave; frontal ridges between orbits obsolete 
to moderate; parietal ridges strong, and area between 
ridges slightly convex or flat. Preopercular spines 5, di- 
rected posteroventrally; opercular spines 2, upper spine 
directed posteriorly, lower spine directed posteriorly 
and slightly ventrally. Posttemporal and supracleithral 
spines present. Ventral margin of lachrymal with two 
rounded lobes, both anterior and posterior often with a 
single small posteriorly directed spine, posterior occa- 
sionally with as many as 4 or 5 small spines forming a 
serrate margin. Infraorbital spines small, 2-12 (5): 0-4 
(2) spines on first infraorbital, 0-6 (2) on second, and 
0-4 (1) on third (7 on third infraorbital of the left side 
of one anomalous specimen, UW 116497); dorsal margin 
of opercle nearly horizontal; lower margin of gill cover 
with two small spines, produced by the posteroventral 
tip of interopercle and anteroventral tip of subopercle. 
Dorsal-fin origin above anterodorsal portion of gill 
slit; dorsal fin continuous, gradually increasing in 
height from spine I (5. 9-9. 6% SL, 1. 5-3.0 times into 
orbit length; Fig. 5A) to spine IV (12.0-18.4% SL; Fig. 
5B; tips of dorsal-fin spines broken in holotype) and de- 
creasing in height to spine XII; spine XIII much larger, 
forming anterior support of dorsal-fin rays; membranes 
of spinous dorsal fin moderately incised, less so posteri- 
orly; soft dorsal fin with anterior rays longest, posterior 
rays gradually shortening. Anal-fin spine II slightly 
shorter than or equal to III (11.8-19.6 vs. 12.2-21.3% 
SL; tips of anal-fin spines broken in holotype), relatively 
longer in juveniles, soft rayed portion of anal fin with 
anterior rays longest, posterior rays gradually shorten- 
ing, posterior margin perpendicular to body axis or with 
slight posterior slant, anterior ray tips directly ventral 
to or forward of posterior tips, anterior tip of anal fin 
slightly rounded. Pectoral fins with ray 10 or 11 lon- 
gest, extending to or slightly anterior to vent, fin-ray 
length 22.0-30.0 (27.9) % SL; fin-base width 8.2-10.4 
(10.2) % SL; dorsalmost ray simple, ventral 5-10 simple, 
others branched. Pelvic fins extending about 50-90% 
of distance from pelvic-fin base to anal-fin origin, fall- 
ing well short of vent, ray length 18.8-25.0 (23.1) % 
SL, spine length 55.1-72.9 (58.6) % ray length. All 
fin spines exhibiting allometric growth, with juveniles 
having relatively longer spines. Caudal fin shallowly 
emarginate, length 19.2-25.2 (22.2) % SL. Vent posi- 
tioned below dorsal-fin spine 10-11, 7-21 (13.8) % HL 
from anal-fin origin. 
Lateral body scales often with many (ca. 5-7) acces- 
sory scales in posterior field. Maxilla and underside of 
mandible completely scaled; suborbital region scaled; 
branchiostegal rays scaled. 
Gill rakers long, 3. 9-7.1 (6.6) % SL, and slender 
on first arch; longest raker in joint between epi- and 
ceratobranchials; length of preceding rakers on upper 
arch and succeeding rakers on lower arch progressively 
