KEVIEW OB" THE GENUS SCHEDOPHILUS — OQILBY. 73 



SchedopJiilopsis* spinosus, Steindachn, loc. cit. Ixxxiii, p. 396, 

 1881. 



B. vi. D. 52-55. A. 37-40. Y. 1/4. L. lat. 110-120. 



Length of head 5-00 (4*25 without caudal), height of body 3-50 

 in the total length. Eye small, its diameter 6-Oo - 7-00 in the 

 length of the head, 1-66-1 '85 in the length of the snout, and 

 2"20 - 2"50 in the convex interorbital space. Jaws equal : cleft 

 of mouth of moderate width, the maxilla reaching to beneath the 

 middle of the eye : nostrils small, simple, approximate, situated 

 nearer to the end of the snout than to the orbit. Preopercle 

 with several small spinous processes on the margin. Body elongate- 

 ovoid, much compressed ; the upper profile rises abruptly from 

 the interorbital space, and describes a gentle curve to the end of 

 the dorsal fin. Teeth in the jaws in a single series, minute, those 

 in the lower jaw rather the larger. The dorsal fin commences 

 opposite to the base of the pectoral, and terminates on the same 

 plane as the anal ; the anterior rays are short and unbranched ; 

 the rays gradually increase in height posteriorly, and the longest, 

 which are close to the end of the fin, reach nearly to the base of 

 the caudal : the anal commences opposite to the twenty fourth 

 to twenty seventh doi'sal rays, and is similar in shape to the 

 posterior half of the dorsal fin : ventral small and narrow, in- 

 serted a little behind the base of the pectoral, the second ray the 

 longest, its length three sevenths of the distance between its 

 origin and the vent, and four elevenths of that of the head :t 

 pectoral broad, rounded, the middle rays the longest, equal to the 

 postorbital portion of the head : caudal rounded, the least height 

 of the peduncle less than its length, and about 5-50 in the height 

 of the body. Scales absent. Lateral line gently curved above 

 the anterior rays of the anal, thence straight, clothed along its 

 entire length with groups of minute spines : all the fin rays with 

 similar spines. 



Colors. — Light yellowish brown, pellucid below the dorsal and 

 above the anal fins : upper half of head and body ornamented 

 with large blackish spots, irregular in shape, and smallest on the 

 head and neck ; they form a series along the base of the vertical 

 fins, which are similarly spotted. 



Habitat. — Pacific coast of the United States, in deep water. 



Length up to twelve inches. 



* From Schedophilus, and o\pL<;, appearance. 

 t In the Challenger figure. 



