Fishes of the Western North Atlantic 335 



second dorsal and anal, and in its teeth. But it is easily separable from falciformis by its 

 much longer pectorals, much smaller eye, and the more narrowly ovate snout (cf. Fig. 

 56 with 58). 



Descriftion. Proportional dimensions in per cent of total length. Female, 2,328 mm., 

 from Fort Pierce, Florida (Harv. Mus. Comp. ZooL, type. No. 35807). 



Snout length in front of: outer nostrils 4.0; mouth 7.2. 



Eye: horizontal diameter 1.2. 



Mouth: breadth 8.35 height 4.4. 



Nostrils: distance between inner ends 5.5. 



Labial furrow length: upper 0.5. 



Gill opening lengths: ist 2.9; 2nd 3.O} 3rd 3.35 4th 3.15 5th 2.6. 



First dorsal fin: vertical height 8.6; length of base 8.7. 



Second dorsal fin: vertical height 2.2; length of base 2.8. 



Anal fin: vertical height 3.6; length of base 3.2. 



Caudal fin: upper margin 26.5; lower anterior margin 13.6. 



Pectoral fin: outer margin 20. 7; inner margin 5.O; distal margin 16.7. 



Distance from snout to: ist dorsal 30.O; 2nd dorsal 63.7; upper caudal 73.5; pec- 

 toral 20.7; pelvics 48.5; anal 63.7. 



Interspace between: ist and 2nd dorsals 25.8; 2nd dorsal and caudal 7.1; anal and 



caudal 5.8. 



Distance from origin to origin of: pectoral and pelvics 27.8 ; pelvics and anal 15.7. 



Trunk rather slender and tapering evenly both anteriorly and posteriorly, its height 

 at origin of ist dorsal only about Ve its length to origin of caudal. Body sector to cloaca 

 considerably longer than tail sector. A low but unmistakable dermal ridge along midline 

 of back extending part way between ist and 2nd dorsal fins. Lower precaudal pit, as well as 

 upper, well marked. Dermal denticles so small and flat that the skin feels silky, close 

 set, regularly overlapping, those on trunk usually with 7 ridges but occasionally with only 

 6, the marginal teeth short and rather blunt, those on head minute, less strongly sculp- 

 tured and broadly oval. 



Head about Vs of total length. Snout flattened above, its tip narrow-ovate, its 

 length in front of a line between outer ends of nostrils a little less than % (71%) as 

 great as distance between inner ends of latter, the length in front of mouth about Vs 

 of length of head. Eyes round and noticeably small, the horizontal diameter only about 

 V4 to /'5 as long as distance between nostrils, or Ve the length of snout in front of 

 mouth. Gill openings evenly spaced, of medium length, the first a little more than 

 twice as long as diameter of eye, the 3rd a little the longest and 5th a little the shortest, 

 the 3rd, or space between 3rd and 4th, above origin of pectoral. Nostril oblique, its 

 inner end nearer to upper jaw than to tip of snout by a distance aboit twice as great as 

 diameter of eye, the anterior margin without definite lobe but only somewhat sinuous 

 in outline. Mouth broad-ovate, its length slightly less than V2 its breadth. 



