FISHES —SCORPAENIDAE—SEBASTES PAUCISPINIS. 
83 
List of specimens. 
Catalogne number. 
Corresponding No. 
of 
No. of specimens. 
Age and sex. 
Locality. 
When collected. 
Whence obtained. 
Original number. 
Nature of specimens. 
Collected by— 
341 
2 
Adt. 
Cape Flattery, W. T.----- 
1853 
Lieut. Trowbridge___ 
Alcoholic.. 
Lieut. Trowbridge. 
342 
2 
_do. 
Astoria, Oregon - -- -- --_ 
1854 
5. SEBASTES PAUCISPINIS, Ayres. 
Plate XXIIa, Figs. 1— 4. 
Spec. Char. —Head and body very much compressed ; former, wedge shape ; tip of lower jaw very prominent. Spines of 
the upper surface of scull inconspicuous. Posterior extremity of maxillary extending to a vertical line drawn posteriorly to 
the orbit. Opercle and preopercle spinous. Origin of dorsal a little in advance of the base of the pectorals. Reddish brown 
above, lighter beneath. 
Syn.— Sebastes paucispinis, Ayres, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sc. I, 1854, 6 ; &, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. Y, 1854, 94. 
An authentic specimen of this species now before us measures thirteen inches and a half from 
the extremity of the lower jaw to the end of the caudal fin. The general aspect of the fish is 
elongated, the head and body being very much compressed ; the former constituting nearly the 
third of the entire length. The outline from the origin of the dorsal is regularly sloping 
towards the snout; it is nearly straight along the base of the spinous dorsal, hence descending 
towards the peduncle of the tail. The mouth is deeply cleft, the lower jaw projecting considera¬ 
bly beyond the upper, and provided with a conspicuous knob upon its symphysis. The posterior 
extremity of the maxillary is quite dilated, its margin sloping inwardly downwards, being itself 
even with a vertical line which would he drawn somewhat posteriorly to the orbit. Card-like 
teeth upon the premaxillaries, dentaries, front of the vomer and palatines. The eye is large 
and sub-circular; its diameter entering five times and a half in the absolute length of the side of 
the head The nostrils are situated towards the upper surface of the snout, a good deal nearer 
the orbit than the edge of the upper jaw. The upper surface of the head presents hut two hori¬ 
zontal, very small, acerated occipital spines at the posterior extremity of the occipital ridges. 
Upon the limb of the preopercle we observe five flattened, sometimes bifurcated, spinous pro¬ 
cesses, largest at the convexity. The subopercle is spineless, but the posterior edge of the 
opercle exhibits two flattened and diverging spines. The suprascapular bone terminates likewise 
into an inconspicuous spine. 
The anterior dorsal is regularly arched in its outline, and simply contiguous to the second, 
between which and the former there is a much greater depression than usual. The caudal fin 
enters a little short of six times in the total length. Its posterior margin is sub-crescentic. The 
anal is as deep as the soft dorsal is high, hut shorter upon its base ; the tips of its rays extend¬ 
ing likewise further hack. The origin of the ventrals takes place almost opposite the base of 
the pectorals, and, although well developed and elongated, their extremities are far away from 
the vent. The pectorals are elongated, sub-lanceolated ; their extremities extending some¬ 
what beyond those of the ventrals. 
Br. YII: VII; D XIII, 14; A III, 9 ; C 5, 1, 6, 6, 1, 4 ; V I, 5 ; P 14. 
