THE FISHES OF PORTO RICO. 
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and of no specific value. It. is known only from the type (No. 49533, U. S. N. M.), 3 inches long, 
obtained at Mayaguez, January 20, and one cotype (No. 813, U. S. F. C. ), 2 inches long, seined at 
Culebra Island, February 11. 
Named for Dr. Carlos Berg, director of the National Museum of Buenos Ayres, in recognition of 
his excellent work on South American fishes. 
234 . Scorpaena plumieri Bloch. Rascacio. 
Head 2.25 to 2.5; depth 3; eye 5; snout 3.75; maxillary 2; mandible 2; interorbital 4.75; preor- 
bital 5.5; D. xii, 10; A. in, 5; scales 8-40-16, about 25 pores. Body short and thick; head irregular in 
form, with many grooves and pits, and numerous fleshy flaps; a large, deep quadrate pit. on occiput; a 
large, deep pit below anterior part of eye, between it and front of suborbital stay; supraocular ridge 
with 2 long flaps, posterior one broadest, each nearly twice length of eye; anterior nostril with a double 
fringed flap, about two-thirds length of eye; a pair of simple, slender tentacles on snout, each somewhat 
longer than eye; 3 or 4 flaps on edge of preorbital; numerous other smaller, shorter flaps along edges 
of opercle and elsewhere about head; parietal, nuchal and exoccipital spines present; suborbital stay 
with 3 or 4 sharp spines; preopercular and opercular spines moderate, bluntish, a smaller spine at base 
of upper preopercular spine; occiput with 2 pairs of spines; a few scales on preopercle and opercular 
flap, head otherwise scaleless; maxillary long and broad, reaching to posterior border of eye; lower jaw 
included; breast covered with small embedded scales; scales of body large, thin, firm, many of them 
with membranaceous flaps; lateral line with a series of fleshy flaps; dorsal low, longest spine 2.6 in 
head, longest ray 2.6; first anal spine short, second much stronger and somewhat longer than third, 
2.5 in head; longest, anal ray 2.2; pectoral broad, procurrent, reaching about to anus, 1.4 in head, upper 
rays branched, lower simple, tips free; ventrals reaching anus, 1.9 in head, equal to caudal. 
Color, highly variegated and subject to much variation; sand-color, with 2 broad, blackish 
shades on body and 1 on head; belly purplish; lower parts of head finely speckled in all shades of 
light, dark, and pearly bluish; upper parts covered with whitish cirri profusely speckled; surface 
appearing as if covered with sand; eye with radiating dark spots; dorsal covered like body with some 
well-marked whitish spots; dark band of body passing on to soft dorsal ; caudal variously mottled, with 
3 pale and 3 black bands; anal whitish, variegated with reddish and black; ventrals similar, with more 
maroon-red; pectoral still more variegated, tip scarlet-shaded; inside of pectoral largely bright-yellow, 
then blackish, tinged with cherry-red; axil jet-black, with large, round, white spots, not fading 
in alcohol; lips barred with black and whitish; branchiostegal membranes and angle of mouth bright- 
yellow; peritoneum white. 
The rascacio is found from southern Florida to Brazil; it is common among the Florida Keys 
and has been recorded from Clearwater Harbor, the Tortugas, and Key West. It was obtained by 
the Nutting expedition off Key West in 60 fathoms. It is known also from Jamaica, Cuba, and 
Martinique, and Porto Rican specimens were obtained by us at San Antonio Bridge, Mayaguez, Puerto 
Real, Guanica, Ponce, and Hucares. It is, next to S. grandicomis, the most abundant species of the 
family in Porto Rican waters. It reaches a length of a foot or more. 
The above description is based upon a specimen 10 inches long, from San Antonio Bridge. 
Scorpxna plumieri Bloch, Nya. Handl. Stockh., X, 234, 1789, Martinique. 
Scorpxna bufo Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., IV, 306, 1829, Martinique; Poey, Fauna Puerto-Riquena, 323, 1881. 
Scorpxna rascacio Poey, Synopsis, 303, 1868, Havana. 
Scorpxna plumieri, Jordan & Evermann, 1. c., 1848, 1898. 
235 . Scorpsena grandicornis Cuvier & Valenciennes. Rascacio; Lion-fish. 
Head 2.5; depth 2.6; eye 4; snout 4; maxillary 2.2; mandible 1.75; interorbital 5; preorbital 
6.75; D. xii, 10; A. iii, 5; P. 17; scales 9-40-15, about 28 pores. Body short, more compressed than 
in S. plumieri; head rough with many spines and ridges; a deep quadrate pit on occiput; a shallow 
suborbit.al groove but no pit at its anterior end; interorbital groove deep but narrow; suborbital stay 
not strong, with 1 small spine near its middle and 1 at, its posterior end; supraocular ridge with 
1 strong spine on posterior portion; 2 spines on side of nape at posterior angle of pit, the anterior 
with a fringed filament; below these, 3 other spines in an irregular row; opercle with 2 flat spines; 
preopercle with 3 flat spines, the one at angle strongest, and with a supplementary spine on its base; 
a pair of short nasal spines; supraocular filament long, broad, and fringed, more than twice length of 
