24 lALll'UHNIA A( ADIMV OK SCIKNC'KS 



34. Galeichthys xenauchen {Gilherl). 



I'l ATK IV, KiR. 8. 



J/<itui,niati(/itlivsxniaiirli<ii(\\\.\\v.K\ (Jokdan iS: IC\ kkmann iSyS, jj. 2777). 



In nppoaniiK'c, (r. .rriKiiirlirn is most closely iillied to species of Ndinnn. 

 liaving the low depressed iiead, with the lateral outlines conver^inji forwards to the 

 narrow pointed snout, and a long largely adherent adipose dorsal. The palatine 

 patclies are, however, narrow, and without haekwardly [)rojecting lobes. The species 

 is distinguished from all those known from the Pacific Coast of America hy the long 

 and extraordinarily narrow occipital process. 



Type, a female 38 cm. long. 



Head 3| in lL-nj;tli; ilcpth at front of dorsal 5I; anal witli 23 rays. W'itllh of head at o])ercle 

 I, in its length; width at front of eyes 2 in huad. Width of mouth at inner angles 2| in head. 

 Interorbital width 2,'^. Eye very small, 9 in head, 3-^ in its distance from tip to snout, 4^ in postocular 

 part of head, 4 J in interorbital width. 



Teeth all villiform. Mandibular bands well separated on niidtllc line, very l)riia(i nu-sially, 

 rapidly ta|x;ring to a jxsint laterally, the band i)roduced beyond angle of mouth, its greatest width 

 contained 2^ times in its length. Premaxillary band very conve.xly curved, following the outline of the 

 snout, its width 5-| in its length. Vomerine patches roundish, separated by an evident medial groove, 

 inarked off from the palatine patches by a narrower groove and a constriction. The palatine patches 

 are equal in width to the vomerine patches, and less than twice as long. They are of nearly equal 

 width throughout. 



Ma.xillary barbels very slender, reaching slightly beyond the base of the pectoral spine. The 

 mental barbels do not reach edge of gill-membrane, the outer pair equaling length of snout and half of 

 eye. Nostrils very large, the anterior broadly oval, with widely reflexed rim, the posterior widely 

 elliptical, not concealed by the valve. Distance from anterior nostril to ti[) of snout eciualing that from 

 posterior nostril to front of eye. 



Fontanel wide, with nearly parallel edges on frontal region, al)ru[)tly narrowing at front of 

 occiput, where it is continuous with a narrow and .shallow groove. The latter fails to reach base of 

 occipital process by a distance equaling half diameter of eye. The raised margins of the fontanel are 

 continuous with a pair of sharp ridges bounding the groove, these accompanied by a pair of 

 lower ridges on their outer sides and parallel with them. Posteriorly, these ridges are roughened with 

 granules, and merge into the granulated area on posterior part of occiput. Occipital process granu- 

 lated, the granules arranged in more or less definite lines radiating backwards and downwards on each 

 side from median point of base. Lateral portions of occiput with an area of radiating stri;e, sei)arated 

 from the central ridges by a smooth groove-like depression. A narrow granulated area extends 

 forward on each side of fontanel to above back of orbits. The occipital process is very long and 

 narrow, its width opposite its middle being but 5 of its length. Near base it abrujrtly expands, the 

 basal width being half its length plus that of dorsal plate on median line. Opercles and humeral 

 plate weakly striate. Gill-membranes with a wide free fold posteriorly. Gill-rakers weak and short, 

 I -(-4 movable ones. No evident axial pore. 



Dorsal spine slender, with a series of sharp granulations on anterior edge; minutely roughened, 

 not serrate behind. It is broken in the type, but its length was about | that of head. Pectoral 

 spines rather slender, rough granular on outer margins, with short fine serrie within. Both are 

 mutilated in the type, but their length was about equal to that of dors;d spine. The pectorals 

 extend nearly | distance to ventrals, the ventrals nearly to origin of anal. Distance from anus to 



