20 PAPERS FROM TORTUGAS LABORATORY vol. xxxiv 



Color very pale olive, except on dorsal and anal fins and posterior quarter of 

 tail, where ground color is black; much spotted, spots on sides of trunk circular, 

 about one-third of pupil in diameter, and exceedingly pale blue, spots much 

 smaller on upper side of head, larger along base of dorsal fin, fewer and fainter 

 on dorsal and toward lower part of side; largest and whitest on tail, where a 

 series of half a dozen widely separated elliptical spots exceed long diameter of 

 eye considerably. W. H. L. 



The species evidently is rare at Tortugas, whence it has not been reported 

 previously. Tropical America, northward to Florida. S. F. H. 



Family SYNODONTIDAE. Lizard Fishes 



Trachinocephalus myops (Forster) 



Not taken commonly, but probably not rare. A small specimen was seined near 

 Long Key; another, 202 mm. long, was caught in the n-fathom channel west of 

 White Shoal; and larger ones were seen, and some speared, north of Loggerhead 

 Key. As observed there with the diving hood, the species lies much the larger 

 part of the time hidden in the sand, into which it sinks, and is lost to sight in the 

 instant one glances away and turns in its direction again. 



In a specimen 202 mm. long, the standard length is 173 mm.; depth 31 mm. 

 (5.5); head 45 mm. (3.84). Eye 7-0 mm. (6.43 in head); snout 5.0 mm., which 

 equals interorbital space and is 9.0 in head. D. 14V2; A. i6 l / 2 ; scales 4-58-7. Teeth 

 in 2 series above, 3 below, little if at all compressed, very slightly incurved at tip, 

 outer for the most part firmly rooted, inner depressible; present on tongue, on 

 ventral branchial elements, and in two very closely approximated series on pala- 

 tines. Anal nearer to pectoral origin than to base of lower caudal rays. 



The basic pattern consists of longitudinal stripes of pale blue and yellow, in 

 average width roughly equal to the diameter of the pupil; the most conspicuous 

 blue one extending from upper margin of opercular cleft to upper base of caudal; 

 five yellow and four blue lines, growing fainter ventrally, below it; upper two 

 stripes and broadest yellow ones anteriorly divided by blue penciling; another 

 blue line above these, more on arch of back and on side of mid-line, between two 

 yellow stripes; these much broken and tending strongly to form merely a spotted 

 and streaked pattern, separated on back and sides by hair lines of dusky pig- 

 ment; basal half of dorsal fin faintly striped across rays with four or five lines of 

 the two dominant body colors; twelve major bars, lighter and darker alternately, 

 superimposed on design of stripes; a dark streak before eye across oral cleft to 

 mandible; and a conspicuous black humeral spot, partly covered by opercular 

 margin. The shade as a whole is decidedly changeable. W. H. L. 



This genus, including a single species, is readily recognized among Tortugas 

 fishes by the very anterior position of the eyes, the snout being much shorter than 

 the eye. Pectorals short, about 2.5 times in much larger ventrals; head somewhat 



