107. COTTID.E RHAMPHOCOTTUS. 721 



compressed, the cheeks subvertical ; orbital ring much elevated above, 

 with several blunt protuberances behind; nape much depressed, with 

 the base of the dorsal fin rising abruptly above it; mouth small; teeth 

 on jaws, vomer, and palatines; preopercle with small bluntish spines 

 above; gill -membranes broadly united to the isthmus; a slit behind 

 fourth gill; branchiostegals G; first dorsal falcate, the spines very flex- 

 ible, the anterior much elevated, much longer than head, the posterior 

 rapidly shortened; second dorsal long and rather high; anal fin similar 

 to second dorsal, but shorter and lower; pectorals moderate; ventrals 

 I, 3, well developed, nearly as long as head. Pacific coast. Small 

 fishes, of singular appearance. (v6-r y <r, sailor; <>0<k, fish; in allusion 

 to the development of the first dorsal fin.) 







11O7. IV. oculofasciatus Grd. 



Grayish above; sides with dark marblings and obscure dusky bands; 

 a very conspicuous black band through the eye and across cheeks; first 

 dorsal blackish; other fins barred with light and dark; ventrals plain. 

 Maxillary reaching to opposite pupil; eye very large, longer than snout; 

 nasal spines conspicuous, curved ; maxillary and edge of preopercle with 

 minute cirri; orbit with a branched cirrus, as long as pupil; the narrow 

 iuterorbital space deeply channelled; supraocular ridge posteriorly with 

 3 blunt tubercles; 2 compressed tubercles on each side of first dorsal; 

 a deep pit at nape, extending under origin of first dorsal; spiuous dor- 

 sal smooth; rays of soft dorsal and caudal roughened with prickles; 

 dorsal spines nearly twice length of head; ventrals f length of head, 

 a little shorter than caudal; pectorals long. Head 3J; depth 3f. D. 

 IX-28; A. 19; P. 14; V. I, 3; Lat. 1. 44. L. 6 inches. Pacific coast, 

 San Francisco to Unalashka; chiefly northward. 



(Blepsias oculofasciatns Girard, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1857, 202; Giiuther, ii, 

 157; Steiiidacliiier, Ichth. Beitrage, v, 130.) 



38O. RHAMPHOCOTTUS Gunther. 

 (Giiuther, Ann. Nat. Hist, xiv, 369, 1874: type Rhamphocotius richardsoni Gunther.) 



Body short, elevated. Head very large, its greatest depth greater 

 than that of the body ; skull with 2 strong bony ridges from above the 

 front of the eye, continuous with 2 large occipital ridges, leaving the 

 interorbital space and middle line of the top of the head strongly 

 concave; snout slender, narrow, and abruptly protruding; mouth very 

 narrow, fl-shaped, its gape longer than wide; teeth villiform, none on 

 the vomer or palatines; gill-opening confined to the region above the 

 Bull. Nat. Mus. No. 16 46 



