594 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



with a black blotch near the front; caudal of a peculiar rich orange- 

 brown, with cross-bars formed of round grayish spots; anal chiefly 

 orangi 1 tipped with blue, and with a large blackish blotch; other fins 

 orange- brown, mottled. Body elliptical, compressed, the ventral outline 

 comparatively straight. Snout sharp; premaxillaries on the level of 

 the lower margin of pupil. Fourth to sixth dorsal spines highest; 

 higher than the soft rays. Pectoral long. Anal very short; its rays 

 slender and crowded; its origin opposite posterior third of dorsal. 

 Head 3i; depth 2J. D. X, 23; A. Ill, 24; Lat. 1. 71. L. 10 inches. 

 Coast of California; very common from Santa Barbara to San Fran- 

 cisco; a beautiful fish, largely used for bait. 



(Embiotoca cartjl Agassiz, Auier. Journ. Sci. Arts, 1853, 389, ami 1854, 366: Ditrema 

 caryi Giiuther, iv, 247.) 



312. DITREOTA Schlegel. 



Surf-fishes. 



(Embiotoca Agassiz: Phanerodon Girard: Twnioioca Alex. Agassiz.) 

 (Schlegel, Fauna Japon. Poiss. 77, 1850: type Ditrema temmincki Kleeker, from Japan.) 



Body oblong, compressed, more or less elevated, with the caudal 

 peduncle robust or rather slender. Head moderate, lower jaw in- 

 cluded. Lips moderate, the lower with a freuum. Maxillary short, its 

 whole length slipping under the preorbital. Teeth few, conical, blunt- 

 ish, in one series. Gill-rakers weak, rather short and slender. Pharyn- 

 geals normal. Caudal fin lunate or forked; anal I'm rather long, much 

 longer than abdomen, its spines small. Scales small, about GO in the 

 lateral line. Species 5, differing in external appearance, but alike in 

 essential characters. The Japanese type of this genus is closely re- 

 lated to Ditrema atripcs. (<ni-, two; r/^/jia, aperture.) 



(i. Caudal pediinrlt; stout, the fin not widely forked. (Embiotora ' Ag.-issiz.) 



935. D. latcralc (Agassiz) Gthr. Win- r>>r<-h ; Surf-fink. 



Color reddish olive above, becoming bright orange red below, every- 

 where .thickly dusted with black points; a continuous bright blue streak 

 along the edges of each row of scales; streaks of thoracic region formed 

 by isolated blue spots on the middle of the scales; head with several 

 series of blue spots and streaks; fins all olivaceous dusky; ventrals 

 with some light orange. Body oblong, compressed, with a short and 

 very high caudal peduncle, the body tapering backward less than usual. 



*Ag;issi/. Ainrr. .Journ. Sci. Arts, 1853, 387: type Kmlnot.ica jacksoni Ag. 

 life within; rowoS, oll'spring.) 



