64 
U. S. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT. 
SCORPAENICHTHYS MARMORATUS, Grd. 
Plate XVI, Fig. 1. 
Spec. Char.— Membranous flaps upon the upper and posterior part of the orbit, upon the snout, and at the posterior 
extremity of the maxillary hones. The latter extending to a vertical line passing immediately behind the eye. Two 
spines of moderate development upon the preopercle. Fins all well developed. Ground color either light or dark brown, 
marmorated with black. 
Stn.— ScoipaenicMhys marmoratus, Grd. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. VII, 1854, 131 and 145 ; &, VIII, 1856, 133. 
Bemitripterus marmoratus, Ayhes, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sc. I, 1854, 4. 
The head is very large and rohustly built, constituting the third of the whole length, the 
caudal fin excluded. It is nearly as deep as broad upon the occipital region ; the cranial 
region is suh-depressed and sloping towards the orbits ; hence very declivous to the end of the 
snout, which is obtusely rounded. The region of the scull, as also the suborbital, temporal, 
and opercular regions, exhibit the corrugated surface of the hones. The orbital flap is fringed 
somewhat arborescent, and the largest; the rostral is flat, triangular, and entire, implanted 
vertically upon the snout. Those upon the posterior extremity of the maxillaries are smaller 
still, and fringed. The eye is well developed and sub-circular near the upper surface of the 
head, above which the rim of the orbit is slightly raised. Their longitudinal diameter is con¬ 
tained six times in the length of the side of the head. The nostrils are nearer the orbit than 
the margin of the upper jaw ; as usual, the posterior opening is situated inwardly in advance of 
the orbit behind the spinous turhinal, whilst the anterior opens on the sides of the snout. The 
mouth is large, which might he inferred from the development of the head, and the fact that the 
posterior extremity of the maxillary extends backwards to a vertical line drawn across the 
posterior rim of the orbit. Two spines, of rather moderate size, may be observed upon the 
convexity of the preopercle, the uppermost being the largest of the two. The gill openings are 
continuous under the throat; the branchiostegals are six on either side. 
The body is compressed much deeper than broad, even anteriorly, with a profile either sub-fusi¬ 
form or somewhat thickish, according to sexes and age. The fins are all well developed. 
The first dorsal, which is composed of eleven spines of nearly equal depth, has about the same 
height as the second dorsal; the interradial membrane is emarginated. The origin of the fin is 
near the occiput, even with a vertical line drawn across the insertion of the last ray but one of 
the lower part of the pectoral fins. The base of the same fin is a little less than the fourth of 
the entire length. The second dorsal, which is contiguous to the first, is composed of nineteen 
bifurcated rays, inserted over a base somewhat longer than the third of the total length. The 
caudal is subtruncated posteriorly, and contained about five times in the entire length; it is 
composed of nine branched and two simple rays and rudimentary ones. The origin of the anal 
is situated opposite the fifth ray of the second dorsal, and is not quite so deep as the latter is 
high ; its base is a little less than that of the first dorsal; composed of thirteen, some of which 
bifurcated rays, with the interradial membrane deeply indentated. The extremity of the 
posterior rays projects slightly beyond those of the dorsal. The origin of the ventrals takes 
place posterior altogether to the insertion of the pectorals; these fins are rather long and 
slender, composed of one spine and five articulated rays ; their extremity does not reach as far 
back as the vent, neither as far as the extremity of the pectorals. The latter are very broad, 
inserted upon the oblique margin of the gill opening, and extending to the inferior surface of 
the head, The rays are sixteen in number ; the nine inferior ones thick and simple, with the 
