464 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
385. Pterois sphex Jordan & Evermann. Fig. 203. 
Head 2.4 in length; depth 2.65; eye 3.8 in head; snout 3.2; interorbital 5.2; maxillary 2.35; 
mandible 2; D. xm, 11; A. in, 7; P. 16; V. i, 5; scales 10-56-13. 
Body elongate, compressed, greatest depth at first dorsal spines; back only slightly elevated; 
snout rather short, rounded; mouth large, oblique; maxillary reaching below anterior rim of orbit, 
its distal expanded extremity 1.75 in eye; teeth fine, in bands in jaws and on vomer; lips rather thin, 
fleshy; tongue pointed, compressed and free in front; jaws nearly equal; eighth dorsal spine longest, 
equal to head; penultimate spine 4; fifth dorsal ray 1.75; third anal spine longest, 2.2; third anal ray 
longest, 1.5; caudal rounded, elongate, 1.4; pectoral long, the rays more or less free for at least half 
their length; ventral 1.3 in head, reaching beyond origin of anal; ventral spine 2.1; caudal peduncle 
compressed, its depth 3.75; nasal spinal very small; preocular, supraocular, and postocular spines 
present, the upper bony ridge over eye being serrate; tympanic, coronal, parietal, and nuchal spines 
present, coronal very small and close together and parietal with 4 serrations; a finely serrated ridge 
from behind eye over opercle to supraseapula; a finely serrated ridge over preorbital and cheek to 
margin of preopercle, ending in a strong spine, below this 2 other spines; preorbital with a strong 
spine over maxillary posteriorly, and with fine serrations above; scales ctenoid, present on top of 
head, cheeks, and opercles, head otherwise naked; tubes of lateral line single, in straight line to base 
of caudal; several fleshy flaps on head, 1 above eye, 1 from lower preorbital spine, and 2 from along 
margin of preopercle. 
Color in alcohol, very pale brown, whitish beneath; side with 9 broad, deep brown bands, alter- 
nating with narrow brown bands on trunk and posterior portion of head, narrow brown bars from 
below penultimate dorsal spine with a narrower brown line on each side above lateral line; lower 
surface of head whitish, without crossbandip; spinous and soft dorsal and caudal each with 4 dusky 
brown crossbands; base of anal with 2 broad similar bands, and soft portion of anal with 3 series of 
irregular crossbands; axil of pectoral above with white blotch; pectoral whitish with 10 blackish 
