Depth 6 to 7; head 3 to 3 2/5. Snout 3 2/3 in head, convex; eye 
3 1/3 to 5"l? 1^ to 2 in snout, twice inter orbital to 1 1/3 in interorbital; 
maxillary shorter than mandible, in young reaches ^ in eye or with age 
opposite hind eye edge or little beyond; conspicuous postocular groove 
baex over opercle; 2 longitudinal grooves on cheek, upper with an ascending 
branch, lower one branching forward on snout and above eye and continuous 
with postocular groove. First or first and s econd branchiostagels with 
strong, sharp, conic spine at forward end beneath preopercle, directed 
forward and upward* Branchial aperature vertical beneath, not produced up¬ 
ward and forward. 
Scales 58 to 65 in lateral series; 20 transversely. Head and throat 
naked. Scales at nape, pectoral base, and on belly cycloid, and on sides 
toward tail ctenoid. 
Dorsal VI— I, 7 or 8, second spine 2 2/3 in total head length, 
fourth ray 2; Anal I, 7 or 8, third ray 1 7/8; caudal 1^-, convex behind; 
least depth of caudal peduncle 2j; pectoral lj, rays 20 of which several 
uppermost short and silk like; ventral rays I, 5, fin 2 in total head length 
Anal papilla slender, pointed. 
Dark yellowish to violet golden or deep olive, beneath dark brown, 
golden or yellow. Numerous bands or narrow stripes of dark brown along 
the series of scales from head to tail• Several brown streaks from eye 
across opercle. Membranes of fins clear violaceous to dusky, with golden 
rays, in young and half-grown several golden crossbars or few to many 
golden ocelli or spots. Fins more or less golden and excepting ventrals 
variegated with brown, dorsals and anals with longitudinal stripes, and 
pectorals and caudal marked with irregular transverse bars. Above pectoral 
base commonly large dark or red spot. With age body much clouded with 
