194 ALLAN HANCOCK PACIFIC EXPEDITIONS VOL. 9 



his generic analysis of Congrina will not admit Pseudoxenomystax. 

 Among the characters listed by Reid for the genus Congrina is the follow- 

 ing, "vomerine teeth never widened but always narrowed posteriorly and 

 distinctly separated frotn the premaxillary patch."^ Parr in his brief o 

 diagnosis of the premaxillary-vomerine teeth of Pseudoxenomystax makes 

 the following statement, "the two patches in somewhat constricted con- 

 tact with each other, thus separating the maxillary bands of the two sides." 

 The difference in this character alone would preclude any similarity 

 between the two genera. 



Further evidence, while not conclusive, of the difference between 

 these two genera is found in the shape of the vomerine band of teeth. In 

 Congrina the vomerine teeth are apparently confined closely to the head 

 of the shaft of the vomer, while in Pseudoxenomystax the vomerine teeth 

 extend backward in an elongate band. Also, in Congrina the anterior 

 nostrils are placed well above the edge of the upper lip, and in Pseudoxen- 

 omystax close to the edge. 



Except that the rim of the posterior nostril was entire and the fleshy 

 keel on the ventral surface of the snout did not end in a free process, Parr 

 found that Pseudoxenomystax agreed with the Japanese genus Rhyncho- 

 conger. These minor characters of questionable stability, unsupported by 

 more important characters, do not seem sufficient to warrant the separa- 

 tion of these two genera at the present time. Since without doubt 

 Rhynchoconger is a synonym of Rhynchocymba, it follows that Pseudo- 

 xenomystax must also be a synonym of that genus. Additional evidence 

 of the similarity among the three genera is shown in the structure and 

 arrangement of the vomerine teeth and the relationship between the gill- 

 openings and the pectoral base. In all three genera the vomerine teeth are 

 small, close set, pointed anteriorly becoming few, widely spaced and 

 bluntly conical posteriorly, and are arranged in an elongate, posteriorly 

 pointed band. The gill-openings lie mostly below the lower end of the 

 pectoral base in all three of the genera. 



Rhynchocymba catalinensis, new species 

 Plate 26, figs. 1-3 



Holotype.—AU.Y no. 871. 



Type locality. — White Cove, Santa Catalina Island, Los Angeles 

 County, California, hand-line fishing in 5 fms from Velero III, 9 p.m., 

 August 2, 1941. 



1 Italics author's. 



