THE FISHES OF ALASKA. 



225 



Family i. HEPTATREMID.-E. The Borers, or Harrfishes. 

 1. Polistotrema deani Evermann & Goldsborough . new species. 



Head to first gill-opening 6.5 in total length; depth 13.6; tail 7; branchial distance 7.:!: gill-open- 

 ings 11 or \2: teeth 11 + 11 and 10 + 10; base of tongue under third gill-opening. 



Body long and slender, little compressed; head Bomewhat depressed; nostril broad, slit-like, termi- 

 nal; mouth a longitudinal slit with wrinkled edges; 8 barbels, 1 above and 4 below; apparently no ante- 

 rior rudimentary gill-slits. Fin-fold well pronounced on ventral surface of body, gradually disappear- 

 ing in front of middle of length; caudal rounded, showing ray-like marks. 



Color purplish-blue or thai of the Santa Clara prune, becoming blacker in alcohol, and uniform over 

 the whole body; ventral fold or anal fin not bordered by white; no white border about gill-open 



This species differs from Polistotrema stouti in a number of important respects, chief of which are 

 the much shorter head (6.5 instead of 4.5 in body), the longer tail (7 instead of 8 . the more numerous 



Fin. l. — Polistotrema deani Evermann & Goldsborough, new species. I 



teeth, and the ruler. In P. stouti the ground color of fresh specimens was brown phis a little pink. 

 which changes to a bluish tint in preserved specimens; ventral ("1.1 or anal tin bordered by white, which 

 often encircles the' caudal fin: gill-openings bordered by white ring; old examples often mottled or 

 blotched about the head with while; ;, few specimens had in addition 1 or - black blotches en the side 

 of the body. 



In the following table are given certain comparative measurements of 97 examples of P. stovM, a and 

 corresponding measurements of our I specimens of /'. deani All measurements, etc.. were taken from 

 the right side of fresh hags that had just died. The specimens were laid Hat en a beard, but none wns 

 stretched. In two of the specimen- of /'. deani the left side was used, as being more satisfactory. All 

 measurements are in millimeters, from which proportional measurements can In- readily computed. 



f From Monterey Bay and examined for us by Mr. William F. Allen, at the Hopkins Seaside Laboratory. 



B. B. V. 1906—15 



