A NEW GENUS AND SPECIES OF PEARL FISH, FAMILY 

 CARAPIDAE, FROM OFF GORGONA ISLAND, 



COLOMBIA* 

 (Plate 6) 



Earl D. Reid 



United States National Museum 



Further study of the fishes obtained by Dr. Waldo L. Schmitt, Cu- 

 rator of Marine Invertebrates, United States National Museum, during 

 the 1935 Cruise of Captain Allan Hancock's Velero III, reveals a very 

 interesting new genus, belonging to the family Carapidae. 



ENCHELIOPHIOPS, new genus 



Genotype. — Encheliophiops hancocki, new species. 



This new genus is characterized by its elongate scaleless body taper- 

 ing to a subconical point beyond the termination of the moderately de- 

 veloped dorsal and anal fins; pectoral and pelvic fins absent; premaxil- 

 laries atrophied, or rudimentaiy; teeth uniserial, conical, close set, present 

 on the jaws, vomer, and palatines; opercular apparatus well developed; 

 branchiostegal rays 6; vent far forward; origin of anal fin close behind 

 vent ; no bony structure at the nape ; eyes well developed. 



Other characters of this genus are those of the species. 



Encheliophiops hancocki, new species 

 Plate 6 



Holotype.—XJ.^.'HM.. Cat. No. 101789, field No. 411, a specimen 

 74.8 mm. total length, taken January 22, 1935, off a coconut beach 

 among the coral, Pocillopora, Gorgona Island, Colombia. Hancock 

 Pacific Expedition, 1935. 



This new genus and species of pearl fish differs from all other genera 

 in the family, Carapidae, by lacking both pectoral and pelvic fins, except 

 Encheliophis, which also lacks these fins as described by Miiller^ from a 

 specimen taken in the Philippines. 



* Published with the permission of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



1 Miiller, H., 1845. Untersuchungen iiber die Eingeweide der Fische, Schiufs 

 der vergleichenden Anatomic der Myxinoiden. Abhandlungen der Koniglichen 

 Academic der Wissenschaften zu Berlin. Aus dem Jahre 1843 s. 154, Tab. 5, 

 fig. 4. 



[47] 



