46 jfirst annual deport 



Ocellated spots behind pectorals present; soft dorsal of 6-8 

 rays, very rarely 9; scales above lateral line (from lower 

 angle) about 20-24; small, usually not over 100 mm. long'; 

 color rich, usually variegated. cl 



No ocellated spots; soft dorsal of 11-10 rays, rounded; scales 

 above lateral line, (counted as above) 32-36; larger, usually 

 100-200 mm.; brilliant colors lacking. ev'nlc* 



Gibbonsia elegans (Cooper 1 ) 



(Plate IV and Figures 15, 16, 17) 



Length to base caudal 4.5 times depth at anus; head 5 in length; 

 eye large, diameter almost or quite equal to distance from eye to 

 dorsal, 2.7 in distance from snout to dorsal ; scales, counted along 

 anterior part of lateral line and thence on a level to base caudal, about 

 135; scales above lateral line at lower angle 20-24; scales above lateral 

 line at middle of anterior, elevated portion 10-12; dorsal usually 

 V-XXX. 7 or S in northern, and V XX VI II, 7 or 8 in southern speci- 

 mens, but ranging from V-XXVII to V-XXXI in spines and 7-9 in 

 rays ; anal 11-26 to TT-2S in northern, and 11-23 to 11-25 in southern 

 specimens. (See charts). 



Body rather strongly compressed and deep, tapering rapidly 

 behind; caudal peduncle slender; head short, upper outline convex, 

 distance from snout to dorsal equal to depth at front of dorsal; mouth 

 small, terminal, oblique; maxillary scarcely reaching pupil; lower 

 jaw slightly projecting; teeth on vomer, none on palatines. Dorsal 

 with first three spines elongate, graduated; first usually about 2.5 in 

 head, but varying from 1.5-3; fourth, fifth, and sometimes sixth 

 spines from one-third to one-half first, and shorter than following, 

 but quite variable; third and fourth nearly twice as far apart as 

 fourth and fifth ; remaining spines uniform, half to two-thirds length 

 of first; soft dorsal short, high, abruptly truncate after third or 

 fourth ray, first three or four rays (as the case may be) equal and 

 close together, remainder abruptly shortened, and conspicuously 

 farther apart ; membrane connecting them usually translucent. 



Body variously striped and barred, or mottled; always, so far as 

 known, with one to seven ocellated spots along each side slightly 

 above median line; first just above base of pectoral, remainder uni- 

 formly separated and extending to base of soft dorsal ; first and last 

 two most commonly found. Prevailing color variable, may be red, 

 brown, olive, green, chocolate, or other rich shades. The typical 

 color pattern is as follows: prevailing color chocolate brown, or dull 

 red ; head dark above, broken by line running back from eye, through 

 opercle to base of pectoral, and by irregular lines above this; head 

 below lighter; cheeks spotted with silvery, lower half of iris silvery; 



