104 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



Labrisomus ? littoreus may possibly belong to the genus Acanthoclinus of 

 Jenyns, but it is only known from a drawing and description. 



Labrisomus latipinnis is related to Blennioclinus, but is distinguished 

 from tbe species of that genus by the presence of superciliary tentacles. The 

 generic name of Ophthalmolophus may be retained for it. 



If the above views of the limits of the Labrosomus are correct, only two of 

 the species assigned by Swainson to the genus truly belong to it. Of the re- 

 maining species, nearly each one belongs to a genus distinct from the others. 

 The affinities and characters of the genera above indicated will be more fully 

 exposed at another time. 



About three years after the publication of the work of Swainson, the same 

 species that served as the type of the genus of that naturalist, was described 

 by Dr. Dekay, in the ichthyological part of his "Zoology of New York, or the 

 New York Fauna," as the representative of a new genus of Percoids, under 

 the name of Lepisoma. That the genus Lepisoma is identical with the Labri- 

 somus of Swainson, no one can entertain a doubt after a perusal of the generic 

 and specific description of Dekay. 



Dr. Dekay has given the characters of his genus Lepisoma, as follows : 



" Body and fins scaly. Fleshy filaments along the basal line of the head and 

 on the orbits. A single dorsal fin. Branchial rays six. Teeth in the jaws 

 vomer and palatines. Ventrals before the pectorals." 



Dekay in his remarks, states "that it is with much hesitation that he places 

 this genus at the end of the jugular section of this family (Percidse). In its 

 general aspect, it might readily be referred to the families Scisenidse or Labri- 

 dae ; but the presence-of vomerine and palatine teeth excludes it from them." 



The amiable naturalist was much mistaken in regard to the affinities of the 

 genus, as must be perceptible from his descriptions. Even in his brief generic 

 diagnosis, the ichthyologist is surprised by the peculiarity described by the 

 second sentence ; ' ' fleshy filaments along the base of the head and on the orbits.'''' 

 This character is so peculiar, so much at variance with the compact character, 

 if I may so express myself, of the head in the family of Percoids, that it might 

 well cause the naturalist to doubt if a fish with such appendages can really be- 

 long to the family of Percoids. On a careful examination of the specific de- 

 scription, the characters are found to disagreee more and more with the natural 

 ones of the family to which Dekay has referred it. 



The scales are described as being " moderate, rounded, finely striate on their 

 free surfaces, with a smooth membranous margin.'" The head is "corrugated 

 and destitute of scales. Along the basal line of the head, on each side, are nine 

 or ten fleshy processes, ending in bifid or trifid filaments," &c. "Another fleshy 

 process arises from beneath the upper margin of the orbit, which subdivides into 

 .six or eight smaller processes," &c. The anterior nostril has a "fleshy valve, 

 through which is pierced the nasal aperture ; its posterior border elongated and 

 terminating in six or eight filaments.'" The opercle and preopercle are rounded 

 and smooth on their margins." 



All of the attributes of the species underlined in the foregoing abstract are more 

 or less at variance with the characters of Percoid fishes, even as the family 

 was accepted by Dr. Dekay ; the doubt of the reader is still more increased 

 when he finds it stated that the ' ' branchial membrane (is) large, extending loosely 

 around the throat, with six rays, and that the ventrals arise near the inferior fold 

 of the branchial membrane, and are composed of two long articulated rays and a 

 short rudimentary one on each side." 



This condition of the branchial membrane, this number of ventral rays are 

 so different from the characters of the true Percoids, that one can have no 

 hesitation in denying a fish with such attributes a place in the family. As in 

 all those as well as in minor details, it agrees with Labrosomus, it is unhesita- 

 tingly referred to that genus. 



[April, 



