YO PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA 



Dr. Cooper presented the following paper : 



On new Genera and Species of California Fishes— No. I. 



BY J. G. COOPER, M.D. 



The fishes described in the following articles were collected by me for the 

 State Geological Survey, along the Southern Coast of this State and among 

 the adjoining islands. While it is possible that some of them may have been 

 described in works not now accessible to us, the probabilities are entirely in 

 favor of their being new, as we have very recent lists of all the species des- 

 cribed as inhabitants of this Coast since the report on fishes collected by the 

 Pacific Rail Road Surveys. 



For much information and assistance in their determination, I am indebted 

 to Dr. W. 0. Ayres, and also to Dr. George Hewston, for the use of books not 

 contained in any public library in the city. 



The outline illustrations, reduced from accurate measurements, were electro- 

 typed and presented by our industrious collaborator, Dr. Kellogg. 



The colors described are in all cases those of the living fish. 



Dekaya, n. g.* 



Generic characters. — General shape elongated and fusiform, head small and 

 short, premaxillaries slightly protractile, eye large, situated above the level of 

 mouth, profile moderately sloping, snout broad and obtuse. 



Preoperculum serrated behind, operculum with one obtuse spine ; branchios- 

 tegal rays five on each side. Opercular openings connected below. 



Front rows of teeth on premaxillaries small, conical, acute, and slightly 

 recurved ; those of upper jaw largest, their size decreasing from the middle 

 towards each angle, where there are one or two large canines ; those below hid- 

 den by the upper jaw. Behind this row in both jaws, a band of velvet teeth 

 in about six irregular rows near the symphysis, but ending entirely near the 

 middle of each ramus. Tongue and vomer toothless. Pharyngeal bones and 

 branchial arches densely crowded with large velvet teeth. 



Infraorbital bone short, curving up under posterior border of orbit, and not 

 connected with the operculum. 



Nostrils double, anterior opening smaller, lips rather thick and fleshy. 



Scales small, numerous, oblong, subquadrangular, finely pectinated, covering 

 the whole body and head as far as front of orbit, but leaving a bare space 

 around the eye. 



Fins scaleless, as well as caudal rays. Dorsal and anal fins very long at 

 base ; spinous rays few. Lateral line normal. 



Dekaya anomala, Cooper, n. sp., State coll. No. 618. [Fig. 17.] 



Specific characters. — Length of head contained five times in total length. Dis- 

 tance from end of snout to orbit one-third the length of head, and greater than 



* Named in memory of the distinguished author of the Zoological portions of the "Natu- 

 ral History of New York, Dr. James E. Dekay. 



