114. BLENNIUX3 CEBEDICHTHYS. 773 



of which is sometimes a streak of pale olive. These streaks all merge 

 backward into the color of the head; middle streak broadly wedge- 

 shaped; the third streak terminating before reaching margin of pre- 

 opercle; old specimens often coarsely blotched with yellow. Lower 

 jaw with a series of short stout conical teeth ; upper jaw with a narrow 

 band of similar teeth; 2 strong canines in upper jaw, 4 in the lower. 

 Lower lateral line sending a branch to the abdominal line; nape not 

 constricted. Dorsal beginning anteriorly; distance from its origin to 

 occiput less than that from occiput to tip of snout ; origin of anal nearer 

 snout than tip of caudal by about half length of head; pectoral fin as 

 long as eye. Head 8; depth 7. D. LXXIII; A. 48. L. 18 inches. 

 Monterey to Alaska; very abundant among rocks and alga3. 



(Xipliidion mucosnm Girard, U. S. Pac. E. R. Surv. Fish. 1858, 119: Xiphidion mu- 

 cosum Giiuther, iii, 291; Jordan & Gilbert. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1880, 137: Xipkidium 

 cruorcum Cope, Proc. Amer. Phi]. Soc. Phila. 1873.) 



11O. X. mpestris Jor. & Gilb. 



Eeddish brown, uniform or variously shaded with lighter; a light 

 olivaceous bar at base of caudal, extending on dorsal and anal ; behind 

 this a blackish area; tip of caudal usually pale; 3 long, well-defined 

 stripes radiating backward from eye, these stripes uniform black, ab- 

 ruptly margined with very light olive; the central stripe proceeds 

 straight backward from the eye, half the breadth of the cheeks, at 

 which point it is broadest; it is then narrowed and bent abruptly 

 downward; both the middle and lower stripes reach the margin of 

 preopercle. Teeth essentially as in A", mucosus. The lower lateral line 

 sends a branch to the abdominal line. A constriction at the nape. 

 Distance from origin of dorsal to the occiput greater than the distance 

 from the occiput to the snout. Anal fin beginning much in advance 

 of middle of body, the distance from the first ray to tip of caudal ex- 

 ceeding the distance to snout by nearly twice length of head; pectoral 

 very short, its length less than diameter of eye. Head 8; depth 9. 

 D. LXVI; A. 50. L. 12 inches. Smaller than the preceding, and 

 equally abundant; among rocks and alga3, from Alaska to Monterey. 



(Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1880, 137.) 



415. CEBEDICHTHYS Ayres. 



(Ayres, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sci. i, 59, 1855: type Cebedichthys cristagalli Ayres= Apo- 

 dichlhys violaceus Grd.) 



Body comparatively short, compressed, covered with minute scales; 

 lateral line distinct, running very high, with very short branches, 



