1936] Schultz: Keys to Fishes 183 



3b. Body elongate, more or less depressed. 



4a. Snout produced into a tube; single long barbel on tip of lower jaw; 

 plates of body slightly keeled, without spines; dorsal VI to IX 

 (VII or VIII), 6 to 9 (average 7 or 8) ; anal 10 to 14 (average 11 

 or 12) ; pectoral 10 to 13 (average 11 or 12) ; plates in front of 

 pelvics 2 or 3 (usually 2). Range: Aleutian Islands, Puget Sound 

 to coast of Oregon. Marine. Common. 

 272. Pallasin-a barbata aix Starks 



4b. Snout not produced into a tube. 



5a. Teeth on vomer and palatines ; plates on breast large. Range : 

 Cold Bay, Alaska, to Oregon. Marine. Not common. 



273. Occa verrucosa (Lockington) 



5b. No teeth on vomer and palatines ; no median rostral plate ; breast 

 prickly. Range : Coast of California and Oregon. Marine. Not 

 common. 

 274. Stellerina xyosterna (Jordan and Gilbert) 



2b. Gill membranes joined to isthmus, often with a free fold across isthmus. 



6a. Tip of snout without median plates or spine, but with paired plates 

 or spines. 



7a. Vomer and palatines without teeth ; mouth located on ventral 

 side ; gill membranes without barbels. Range : Alaska to Puget 

 Sound. Marine. Common. 



Sturgeon Sea Poacher. Alligatorfish 



275. Podothecus acipcnserinus (Tilesius) 



7b. Vomer and palatines with teeth; eye with 4 or 5 (usually 4) 

 spines anteriorly and 1 triangular shaped spine posteriorly ; 

 branchiostegal rays with cirri or small dermal tentacles ; the 

 tentacles on branchiostegals not present in young which have 

 a large knife-like spine over middle of eye (named by Jordan 

 and Starks Xystcs axinophrys) . Range: Alaska, Puget Sound 

 to Monterey, California. Marine. Common. Fig. 48. 



Window-tail Sea Poacher 



276. Averruncus emmelane Jordan and Starks 



6b. Tip of snout with median plate, and with paired spines or plates 

 besides the median plate ; teeth on jaw, vomer and palatines. 



8a. Tip of snout with median plate without a spine ; occipital 

 pit deep, nearly y 2 as deep as head. Range : Vancouver 

 Island, Puget Sound and coast of Washington. Marine. Rare. 

 277. Bothragonns swanii (Steindachner) 



8b. Tip of snout with terminal rostral plate bearing one or 

 more spines directed upward; occipital pit if present not l /z 

 depth of head. 



9a. A single upright spine on terminal rostral plate, besides 

 the lateral ones. 



10a. Occiput with pit with longitudinal division ; dorsal 

 ridges not converging in front of dorsal fin ; no spines 

 below eyeball ; 4 or 5 plates on branchiostegal mem- 

 branes under the chin ; pectoral fin rays not exserted. 

 Range : Alaska to Pt. Loma, California. Marine. 

 Common. Fig. 46. 



278. Odontopyxis trispinosus Lockington 



