i94i CATALOGUE OF FISHES OF TORTUGAS ,-j 



Spiny and soft-rayed parts of dorsal not entirely separate; soft rays, as well as 

 posterior spines, rather low, anterior spines high, ist to 4th highest, with fila- 

 ments reaching far beyond tip of caudal in smallest specimen, only about opposite 

 beginning of posterior fourth of soft dorsal in one of the larger specimens; 

 margin of caudal straight to slightly concave, not "rounded" as stated in current 

 descriptions; anal spines short and strong, soft part of anal similar to that of 

 dorsal; ventrals large and long, reaching scarcely to origin of anal in the 100- 

 mm. specimen, and opposite 3d anal spine in the 65-mm. one, indicating that 

 these fins decrease in length with age; first 2 rays of ventrals closely adjoined, 

 not readily separable, though apparently counted as 2, a spine and a soft ray, by 

 ichthyologists, and so given in the counts presented below; pectoral fins short 

 and broad, only about as long as snout. 



The following proportions and enumerations are based on the 4 specimens at 

 hand: Head 2.4 to 2.6; depth 1.3 to 1.5. Eye in head 3.3 to 4.1; snout 2.4 to 2.6; 

 maxillary 2.2 to 2.4; interorbital 5.2 to 5.35; caudal peduncle 7.2 to 8.4; pectoral 

 2.4 to 2.9; first anal spine 2.8 to 3.8. D. VIII or IX,25 to 28; A. 111,24 to 26 5 P - I2 

 or 13; V. 1,5 or 6; gill rakers 9 or 10. 



Dr. Longley noted that the color of fresh specimens was "silvery, spotted." 

 This color has been retained in the preserved specimens. Black to dusky spots, 

 scattered all over body, remain distinct, rather more prominent on smallest speci- 

 men than the others; largest and most distinct spot about an eye's diameter 

 behind upper blunt point on margin of opercle, with a smaller spot a little in 

 advance of it and a little higher on the body scarcely less distinct; each spine 

 surmounting a bony plate along bases of dorsal and anal surrounded at base 

 with black; median line of head with black spots, more or less united to form 

 a streak in one of the larger specimens; lower jaw mostly dusky; the spinous 

 dorsal and the ventrals profusely spotted with black; soft part of dorsal, and anal 

 and pectorals plain; caudal with a more or less distinct bar (two spots, one 

 above and one below, in smallest specimen) at base, then pale, and distally dusky. 



This species was recorded from the offshore waters of New England, where 

 the type was taken, in 1858. Thereafter no new specimens seem to have been 

 reported until 1913, when J. T. Nichols (Amer. Mus, Jour., vol. 13, p. 44) men- 

 tioned a half-dozen specimens taken on the outer continental shelf at 39° 39' N., 

 72 07' W. In 1934 Fowler (see reference above) recorded three specimens off 

 Cape May, New Jersey, under the name Zenopsis conchifer. S. F. H. 



Zenion hololepis (Goode and Bean) 



Two specimens are listed in Dr. Longley 's field data, presumably the smaller 

 one at hand, about 52 mm. long, having been taken in 220 to 237 fathoms, and 

 the larger one, about 80 mm. long, in 200 to 253 fathoms. 



These fish, which were described as red when taken, have become pale in 

 spirits. They are in such poor condition now that accurate enumerations and 

 proportional measurements of most parts cannot be made. The dorsal in one 

 specimen definitely has VII,27 rays; its ist spine short, 2d long and strong, a 



