VOL. XVII, pp. 163-164 DECEMBER 27, 1904 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



A NEW COTTOID FISH FROM BERING SEA. 

 HY HUGH M. SMITH. 



[Contribution from U. S. Bureau of Fisheries.] 



The steamer Albatross, while en route from Japan to America 

 in 1900, made a series of dredgings on the coast of Kamchatka 

 and about the Aleutian Islands. At one dredging station in 

 Bering Sea, 150 miles north of the Rat Islands, there was ob 

 tained, on June 27, at a depth of 270 fathoms, a small sculpin 

 representing a new genus and species. 



Thecopterus, new genus of Cottidse. 



Similar to Dasycottus Bean, but with the dorsal fins connected, the 

 branchial membranes joined to the isthmus, the preopercle with 3 spines, 

 and the head and body destitute of tubercles and cirri. 



Body short, compressed, deep, tapering abruptly backward from the large 

 head; mouth moderate, terminal, the jaws equal; a band of villiform teeth 

 in each jaw and a patch of teeth on vomer ; three sharp preopercular spines ; 

 gill membranes united to isthmus ; no slit behind last branchial arch; dorsal 

 fins connected, the anterior incased in a fold of skin from which the tips of 

 the spines project, the posterior dorsal similar to anal, both partly concealed 

 by skin; ventrals small and short, the rays (apparently) 1,2; skin smooth, 

 scaleless, the lateral line prominent and continuous. 



From Malacocoltus Bean, this genus differs in having vomerine teeth, no 

 cutaneous filaments, connected dorsal fins, etc. 



Thecopterus aleuticus, new species. 



Head large, broad, little depressed, its length somewhat less than half 

 total length and slightly exceeding its greatest depth and breadth ; body 

 compressed, abruptly tapering from dorsal origin to caudal peduncle, the 

 depth of which equals three-fifths diameter of eye ; greatest depth of body 

 about equal to length of head posterior to snout ; head with small asperities 

 but no ridges or tubercles ; snout broad, rounded, less than diameter of eye ; 

 eye large, one-third length of head ; interocular space much less than eye ; 

 32-PROC. BIOL. Soc. WASH . VOL. XVII, 1904. (163) 



