Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 385 



Distance from origin to origin of: pectoral and pelvics 27.8, 26. i ; pelvics and anal 



12.7, 12.8. 

 Proportional dimensions in per cent of total length. Averages of 3 females, 3,195 to 

 3,465 mm., from Englewood, Florida (calculated from measurements by Stewart 

 Springer) . 



Snout length in front of: mouth 6.3. 



Eye: horizontal diameter i.O. 



Mouth: breadth 10.6; height 4.7. 



Nostrils: distance between inner ends 6.2. 



Gill opening lengths: ist 3.4; 5th 2.7. 



First dorsal fin: length of base 9.2. 



Second dorsal fin: length of base 2.8. 



Anal fin: length of base 3.9. 



Caudal fin: upper margin 26.55 lower anterior margin 12.0. 



Pectoral fin: outer margin 20.6} inner margin 5.4; distal margin 18.6. 



Distance from snout to: ist dorsal 32.95 upper caudal 73.55 pectoral 23.6. 



Interspace between: ist and 2nd dorsal 23 95 2nd dorsal and caudal 6.1. 



Trunk more slender than in milherti, its height at ist dorsal about y^ its length to 

 origin of caudal. A low but unmistakable dermal ridge along midline of back between the 

 2 dorsal fins. Body sector to cloaca about 1.2 times as long as tail sector. Upper precaudal 

 pit deep, subrectangular, the lower less deeply marked than upper. Dermal denticles over- 

 lapping so regularly that skin is entirely concealed, their blades but little arched longitu- 

 dinally, 3 to 5 low ridges in small specimens but perhaps most often 7 in adults, with a 

 corresponding number of strong pointed marginal teeth, the median considerably the 

 largest and the outermost pair very small when there are more than 5. 



Head to 5th gill opening about V4 of total length, its width nearly or quite 80% as 

 great at eyes as at origin of pectorals. Snout moderately thick anteriorly, broadly rounded, 

 its length in front of a line connecting outer ends of nostrils about % as great as distance 

 between inner ends of latter, and length in front of mouth about Vs as great as that of head. 

 Eye circular, its diameter only a little more than V2 (50 to 60%) as long as 3rd gill open- 

 ing, or a little more than V4 (27%) as great as distance between nostrils in young speci- 

 mens and still smaller relatively in adults; its anterior margin about opposite front of 

 mouth. Gill openings about evenly spaced, slightly oblique and weakly concave in outline, 

 the 2nd to 4th (longest) a little less than V2 (about 46%) as long as distance between 

 nostrils or about twice as long as diameter of eye, the ist and 5th about 0.8 to 0.9 as long 

 as 2nd to 4th, the 4th over margin of pectoral. Nostril strongly oblique, its inner end about 

 % as far from mouth as from tip of snout, its anterior margin slightly sinuous only without 

 definite expansion. Mouth broadly ovate, about twice as broad as high, occupying a little 

 less than % (about 72%) of breadth of head. Upper labial furrow only about 0.3 times as 

 long as diameter of eye and almost or entirely concealed when mouth is closed. 



