FISHES CONTAINED IN MUSEUMS OF JAPAN. 307 



Maxillary broad, flat, scaly ; reaching beyond middle of pupil. 

 Teeth fine, sharp, equal ; in narrow bands ; those on vomer and 

 palatines similar. Anterior nostril round ; well separated from 

 the posterior. No spines or serrce on head. Edge of preopercle 

 membranous. All the bones of the head except lower jaw closely 

 scaled. Preorbital moderate, sheathing the broad maxillary. 

 Suborbital narrow. Branchiostegals 7. Gill- rakers 1 + 6 ; slender, 

 small, far apart. Pseudobranchi^e large. Slit behind last gill 

 moderate. Lateral line an ill defined streak. Scales hard and 

 firm ; longitudinally striate ; those along dorsal and anal enlarged, 

 papery, forming a deep sheathed groove into which the whole 

 great fin fits and may be completely concealed. Scales on body 

 bony, with oblique, angular, posterior edges ; those on lower parts 

 each with a vertically compressed median spine. First dorsal 

 spine at tip of nose, very short and slender ; 2nd, 3rd, and 4th 

 progressively longer, yet slim and short ; the 5th, inserted over post- 

 erior nostril ; very thick and very long, greatly enlarged (brok- 

 en off in the type, but certainly more than twice length of the 

 head). Rest of dorsal made up of slender, simj^le, inarticulate, 

 flexible spines ; very long ; the anterior longest, reaching base 

 of caudal ; the rest progressively shortened so that when laid 

 back all end at about the same point ; the tips filamentous ; free 

 from the thin, black, connecting membrane. (Whether the last 

 few are semi-detached can not be clearly made out). Anal similar 

 to dorsal ; the 2nd spine enlarged, half longer than head ; 

 inserted just behind a vertical from eye. All the rays slender ; 

 inarticulate ; technically spines. Vent directly below pupil. 

 Pectoral long ; inserted 'ow ; slightly longer than head. Ven- 

 tral minute jugular, 5 in eye ; the thin fragile rays almost 

 obliterated and can not be exactly counted, probably 6 ; doubtless 



