THE FISHES OF PORTO RICO. 
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Family LXII. SCORP^NID^F. The Rock-fishes. 
Body oblong, more or less compressed, head large and with one or more pairs of ridges above, 
which usually terminate in spines. Opercle usually with 2 spinous processes; preopercle with 4 or 5. 
Mouth terminal, usually large, with villiform teeth on jaws and vomer, and usually on palatines. 
Premaxillaries protractile; maxillary broad, without supplemental bone, not slipping under preorbital. 
Gill-openings wide, extending forward below; gill-membranes separate and free from isthmus, usually 
no slit behind fourth gill. Scales ctenoid or sometimes cycloid, usually well developed, sometimes 
nearly obsolete. Lateral line single, continuous, concurrent with back; a narrow bony stay extending 
backward from suborbital toward preopercle. Ventral fins thoracic, of normal percoid form, i, 5, 
rays branched; dorsal fin continuous, sometimes so deeply notched as to divide it into 2 parts, with 8 to 
16 rather strong spines and about as many soft rays; anal rather short, with 3 spines and 5 to 10 soft 
rays; soft rays in all fins branched, except some or all of rays of pectoral; pyloric cseca in moderate or 
small number (fewer than 12) . Pseudobran chise large. Air-bladder usually present. Actinosts moderate, 
inserted on posterior edges of hypercoracoid and hypocoracoid; ribs borne on enlarged pleurapophyses, 
Post-temporal bifurcate, normally connected; myodome more or less developed. 
The Scorpsenidx are a large and very interesting family of about 30 genera and more than 
250 species inhabiting all seas, but especially abundant in the temperate parts of the Pacific Ocean, 
where they form a large proportion of the fish fauna. They are non-migratory fishes, living about 
rocks. Most of them are of large size and many of the species are used as food, though some of them, 
particularly species in the genus Scorpsena, are in some places regarded as being poisonous. Whether 
there is any good reason for this belief has not been demonstrated. Many of the species of this family 
are viviparous, the young being produced after reaching considerable size. 
а. Dorsal spines 12; vertebra 10 + 14 = 24. 
б. Palatine teeth present; anal rays usually in, 5. 
e. Bones of head scarcely cavernous; occiput with 2 pairs of spines; scales ctenoid or provided with dermal flaps. 
d. Pectoral with some of its median rays more or less branched. 
e. Scales on top and sides of head ctenoid; cranium much as in Sebaslodes, the armature moderate Helicolenus 
ee. Scales on top and sides of head cycloid or wanting; cranium with many spines Scorpjena, 128 
dd. Pectoral rays all simple; head more or less scaly, the scales ctenoid Pontinus, 129 
cc. Bones of head with large muciferous cavities; occiput with only 1 pair of spines; scales cycloid; pectoral rays 20 or 
more; head scaleless above; no groove at occiput; some of the pectoral rays branched Setarches 
Genus 128. SCORPIENA (Artedi) Linnaeus. The Scorpion-fishes. 
Body oblong, somewhat compressed. Head large, not much compressed, naked above, and more 
or less uneven with spinous ridges, often with dermal flaps. Mouth large, with bands of villiform teeth 
on jaws, vomer, and palatines. Scales mostly ctenoid, of moderate size, often with skinny flaps. Dorsal 
fin with 12 stout spines; anal with 3 spines, second commonly the longest; pectoral large, rounded, 
base usually procurrent, some or all of upper rays divided, lower simple; ventrals inserted behind 
pectorals. No air-bladder. Vertebra: 10 14 = 24. Species numerous in the tropical seas; fishes of 
singular forms and bright colors; the variation in squamation and armature very great, but, as in most 
similar cases, it is not easy to find definite characters for subdivision. 
a. Breast scaly. 
b. Occiput with a distinct quadrate pit. 
c. Supraocular tentacle less than twice diameter of orbit. 
d. Dorsal rays xn, 9. 
e. Top of head scaleless, 3 small spines on suborbital carina agassizii 
ee. Top of head not wholly scaleless, interorbital space incompletely scaled; suborbital carina with 6 spines, cristulala 
dd. Dorsal rays xii, 10. 
/. Anterior border of orbit with no distinct pit below it. 
g. Suborbital stay with 3 distinct spines; third anal spine longer and stronger than second. 
h. Axil pale, with small dark spots; body with a few large, diffuse dark spots brasiliensis , 231 
hh. Axil pale without spots; body and head with numerous small milky-white spots albifimbria , 232 
gg. Suborbital stay withoutspines; cheek more or less scaly; second anal spine longer and stronger than third. bergii,233 
ff. Anterior border of eye with a distinct pit between it and suborbital stay. 
i. About 30 scales on lateral line, most of scales with dermal flaps; supraorbital flap large, longer than eye; axil 
black, with large white spots. 
j. Color rather pale or reddish; interorbital area narrow; occipital pit deep plumieri, 234 
cc. Supraocular tentacle more than twice diameter of eye; flaps on lateral line longer than eye; suborbital stay with a 
small spine near its center, another at its posterior end; axil gray with many small white spots .. grandicornis, 235 
66. Occiput with only a very shallow depression or none. 
k. Pectoral with but 2 branched rays; no pit at occiput inermis. 
F. C, B. 19Q0— 18 
