NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 475 



Description of new specie3 of Apodal Fishes in the Museum of the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences, of Philadelphia. 



BY CHARLES C. ABBOTT. 



Genus Herpetoichthys, Kaup. 



Diagn. Jaws nearly equally long. Snout short. Gullet wide. Eyes near 

 the end of the snout. Head depressed, so that the eyes are nearer the upper 

 surface than they are distant from each other laterally. Anterior nostril tubu- 

 lar at the extremity of the snout, and the hinder one at the commencement 

 of the outer row of palatine teeth. Between the two, on the border of the 

 upper lip, there is a small cutaneous tag. Pectoral fins moderately short. Six 

 or seven nasal teeth, and from nine to thirteen vomerine ones. 



1. Herpetoichthys c a 1 1 i s o m a , Abbott. Spec. char. Head depressed; 

 the facial outline slightly oblique, and without curvature. The jaws are 

 flattened, and the snout terminates in a rather obtuse point. The eyes are 

 large, longitudinally oval ; the diameter of the orbits entering three times in 

 the length of the side of the head, measuring from the angle of the jaws. The 

 gill-opening is large and perpendicular ; it is situated as much more poste- 

 riorly to the extremity of the snout, as anteriorly to the commencement of 

 the dorsal fin, as four is to one. The dorsal fin arises nearly opposite to the 

 tips of the rays of the pectoral, when it is extended backwards, and reaches 

 to within a short distance of the extremity of the tail ; it retains a uniform 

 height until it nears the posterior eighth of the total length, when it rapidly 

 decreases to its termination. The anus is situated slightly posteriorly to the 

 anterior third of the total length ; and, at its posterior margin the anal fin 

 originates, and from thence proceeds the lower surface of the body, and is co- 

 terminal with the dorsal fin. 



The teeth upon the mandible and palate are biserial ; the dentition elsewhere 

 is uniserial. Nasal teeth eight ; compressed, blunt, inwardly directed ; four 

 are upon the mesial line, the anterior two smaller than the others. Vomerine 

 teeth eleven ; these form a nearly straight line, and have the anterior six 

 somewhat larger than the other five. Palatine teeth upon the outer row 

 eleven ; upon the inner row ten ; they are similar to the nasal teeth. Mandi- 

 bular teeth similar in shape to the nasal teeth, sixteen upon the outer row ; 

 ten upon the inner row. 



Color. The head, and that portion of the back anterior to the pectoral 

 fins, is dull brown, with a purple tint. On a line with the angle of the mouth, 

 extending as far back as the base of the pectorals, this color is uniform, but 

 below this line it becomes much paler and white, in irregular patches. Upon 

 the head and neck there are numerous circular blackish spots, which occa- 

 sionally run into each other, forming irregular blotches. The throat is longi- 

 tudinally marked with slender black lines, which extend nearly parallel, and 

 reach the base of the pectorals. The ground color of the body is a uniform 

 yellowish-brown, lighter on the belly ; along the sides, from the pectoral fin 

 to the termination of the dorsal, are large, circular, equidistant, very deep 

 brown spots, their diameter equal to two-thirds of the width of the body. 

 Above and between the large lateral spots, exists a regular row of smaller, but 

 similarly shaped spots ; the first two commencing anteriorly to the insertion 

 of the dorsal fin, and nearly joining upon the back. Beneath and between the 

 large lateral spots are smaller ones of a similar shape ; these are irregular in 

 their position and number, and differ materially, in many respects, on the two 

 sides of the body. The dorsal fin is white, marked with irregular spots, of a 

 color similar to those upon the body. The anal fin is similar in its coloration 

 to the dorsal. The pectorals have a number of very minute dots upon them. 



I860.] 



