282 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
base of soft dorsal equal to distance from tip of snout to tip of humeral spine; caudal fin lunate, its outer ray 
one-eighth to one-fourth longer than inner; pectoral fin somewhat rounded, longest ray about the fifth; free 
rays of pectoral expanded toward tip, with decurrent membrane; scales rather large; about 58 pores. Body 
and fins nearly plain, mottled with darker, but without well-defined spots except dorsal ocellus; back with 4 
obscure cross-blotches; 2 or 3 oblique pale streaks across spinous dorsal. Gill-membranes dusky. Young with 
head rougher, pectoral fins shorter, dark spots on body more distinct carolinus 
ee. Body very slender, depth about 6 in length; groove across top of head behind eye, conspicuous; interorbital area 
narrow, deeply concave, its width about two-thirds the diameter of eye; bones of head very smooth, striations 
very weak; spines on top of head (preocular, supraocular, occipital, and nuchal) short and sharp, not depressed; 
temporal ridge blunt, without spine. 
/. Pectoral short, reaching little past front of anal, not one-eighth length of body. Dorsal spines very high, second 
1.75 in head, first moderately serrate; soft dorsal high, its base about one-fourth longer than head; caudal 
truncate; free rays of pectoral a little expanded at tip; 52 pores. Body covered with roundish bronze spots of 
various sizes; smaller bronze spots on head; both dorsals, caudal, and pectoral fins with similar bronze spots, 
these especially numerous and distinct on soft dorsal: ■ scitulus 
ff. Pectoral longer, reaching past middle of anal, more than one-half body; pores 62; color rose-red, not spotted; 
pectoral dusky roseus 
del. Pectoral fin very long, reaching base of caudal, rays graduated; 50 pores in lateral line; gillrakers shortish, 1+6; body 
rather stout, depth 4 in length; palatine teeth few, feeble; caudal subtruncate; second dorsal spine longest, 
one-half length of head; first spine strongly serrated in front; preopercular spine with a smaller one at its base; 
head 2.5 in length. D. x-12; A. 11. Body with 4 faint crossbands; caudal with black tip and 2 paler cross- 
shades; spinous dorsal with small dark spots besides large one; soft dorsal plain; pectoral clouded alatus 
Prionotus: 
aa. Mouth comparatively large, maxillary 2 to 2.75 in length of head, mandible extending backward to opposite eye, or 
nearly so; usually no distinct cross-groove on top of head; free rays of pectoral tapering, not expanded at tip; 
black blotch on spinous dorsal diffuse, not ocellated, involving membranes of more than two spines. 
<j. Preopercular spine without a distinct smaller spine at its base in front. 
h. Pectoral fin very long, reaching at least to beyond second third of soft dorsal. 
i. Head not plane above, interorbital space more or less concave; dorsal spines 10. 
j. Supraorbital cirrus wanting. 
k. Pectoral very long, reaching in adult beyond base of dorsal and anal; interorbital space moderately concave, its 
width about four-fifths length of eye; no cirrus above eye; distance from supraocular spine to nuchal scales 
about equal to eye; supraocular and nuchal spines low; occipital spines wanting; temporal ridge sharp, ending 
in a blunt spine; preorbital projecting, strongly serrate; a blunt spine on each side of snout, behind serrse of 
preorbital; a blunt spine behind this above angle of mouth; no spine on cheek bone in adult; upper opercular 
spine almost obsolete; bones of head rather strongly striate, not granulate; gillrakers short; mouth moderate; 
scales rather large, about 52 pores. D. x-11; A. 10. First dorsal spine not much shorter than second, which 
is 2.2 in head: caudal very slightly concave: ventrals reaching a little past vent: head 3; depth 5. Color 
nearly plain-brownish, with darker clouds; no distinct spots anywhere on body or fins; pectoral marbled 
with paler rubio 
jj. Supraorbital cirrus present, fringed. Interorbital space very deeply concave, its width about three-fifths length of 
eye; a fringed cirrus above eye; distance from supraocular spine to nuchal scales about one-half eye: occipital 
as well as nuchal spines distinct; temporal ridge with a small spine; no spine on cheek bone; bones of head with 
fine, sharply defined strise, but no granulations; upper opercular spine well developed; scales moderate (about 50 
pores). D. vm-13; A. 11. First dorsal spine longest, 1.5 in head; caudal subtruncate; pectoral nearly twice 
as long as head, reaching nearly to last rays of dorsal; ventrals about reaching to vent; head 3 in length; 
depth 4.5. Color crimson, nearly plain; caudal with 2 dark cross-shades ophryas 
hh. Pectoral fin short, not reaching beyond middle of dorsal; head much smoother than in any other species, bones 
of head faintly striate, with small granulations; cranial spines little developed; supraocular, occipital, and 
temporal spines wholly wanting, there being only 3 pairs of spines on head; mouth large, maxillary 2 in head. 
Gillrakers short and thick in adult, slender in young, about 10 developed; interorbital space concave, rather 
broad, its width in adult rather more than length of eye; first dorsal spine granulated; caudal slightly lunate; 
pectoral subtruncate, second ray longest, as long as head in adult; scales large, 48 pores in lateral line. Head 
large, 2.66 in length; depth 3.66. D. x-12; A. 11. Color crimson, with darker clouds and small spots; both dorsals 
with dark cross-streaks; head and pectoral fin conspicuously reticulated with blackish (in adult); anal plain, 
whitish; free rays of pectoral unspotted stearnsi 
gg. Preopercular spine with a distinct smaller one at base; gillrakers slender. 
l. Cheek bone without distinct spine at center of radiation; edge of preorbital granular-serrate, without distinct 
spine, serrse about 12 in number on each side; temporal ridges roughish, but without spines; bones of head with 
strise coarsely granular; mouth moderate, maxillary about 2.6 in head; head not very broad, spines above, 
except nuchal spines, not conspicuous; gillrakers long and slender, 15 to 20 developed; head 2.75 in length; 
depth about 4. D. x-12; A. 11. Coloration brownish; side with a very distinct dusky bronze band below lateral 
line and parallel with it, this becoming broken posteriorly into a series of roundish dark spots; some dark 
streaks and clouds below this stripe; fins with dark clouds, soft dorsal with 2 dark blotches which extend as 
bars on back; head with scattered dark spots; dusky area below eye. 
m. Pectoral with its rays each crossed by fine black bars, these especially distinct toward base of fin; free rays spotted: 
scales comparatively small, 10 + 1 + 23 in a vertical line from last dorsal spine to vent; interorbital area broad 
and almost flat, its width a little more than length of eye; first dorsal spine granulated; second spine 2.75 in 
head; pectoral about one-half length of body stngatus 
