82 



Memoir Sears Foundation for Marine Research 



Orbit: length 2.6-3.5. 



Interorbital: least bony distance 5.0—5.9. 



Postorbital distance to: bony margin 8.3- 



10. 1 ; fleshy margin 9.5—1 1.5. 

 Frontal bones: least width 2.2—2.7. 

 Lower jaws: width 5.3-6.8; least width 



2.3-3-5- 

 Mandible: length 1 3.7-1 9.6. 

 Dorsal fin: depressed length 1 3.9-1 6.4. 

 Anal fin: depressed length 14. 3-16. 5. 

 Caudal fin: length 1 5.1 -19.3. 

 Pectoral fin: length 8.8-1 1.8. 



Pelvic fin: length 11. 4-13. 8. 



Distance from tip of snout to: dorsal 

 origin 81.0-88.5; pelvic insertion 

 52.6-61.3. 



Distance from pelvic insertion to : anal ori- 

 gin 24.9-32.0; pectoral insertion 

 23.5-28.1; lateral line 4.5-7.5. 



Distance from dorsal origin to: occiput 

 53.8-61.3; caudal base 14.2— 16.3; 

 lateral line 5.4—7.5. 



Distance from anal origin to : caudal base 

 16. 0-19. 8. 



Proportional dimensions in per cent of head length for 30 specimens, 157—416 mm 

 length, with head lengths 61.5-118.3 mm. 



Snout: length 57.3-62.3; least width 



7.5-12.0. 

 Orbit: length 9.0-1 1.2. 

 Interorbital: least bony distance 15.5- 



21.0. 



Postorbital distance to: bony margin 28.0- 



32.2. 

 Lower jaws: least width 6.3—12.6. 

 Mandible: length 49.3-54.8. 



Proportional dimensions in per cent of snout length (si) and mandible length (ml). 



Snout: least width 4.8-8.2 in si. Lower jaws: least width 4.0-8.5 in ml. 



Postsnout: distance 1.3— 1.6 in si. 



Statistics of meristic characters: first number — number of specimens; second and 

 third numbers^extremes in range of variation ; fourth number — mean figure. 



Scales: transverse rows between pelvic 

 and dorsal origins 76, 30—33, 

 31.7; transverse rows 76, 21—25, 

 22.3; predorsal 76, 47—51, 48.6; 

 lateral line 76, 54—59, <,6.^. 



Gill rakers: 30, 19—33, 24-9- 



Fin rays: dorsal 30, 7 or 8, 7.3; anal 

 30, 7 or 8, 7.6; caudal 30, 12 or 

 13, 12.7; pectoral on left 30, 

 9-1 1, 9.9 and on right 30, 9-1 1, 

 9.7; pelvic 30, all with 6 rays on 

 both sides. 



Sexual Dimorphism. As in the case of L. oculatus, sexual dimorphism is apparent 

 in this species also, i. e. females attain a larger size and proportionally have a longer 

 snout than males. In length of snout, the females of platyrhincus overlap the males of 

 oculatus. 



Color. General coloration on back darker than in L. oculatus \ coloration and pattern 

 on ventral surface highly variable, with specimens taken from the same place and at 

 the same time exhibiting variation from immaculate to solid black. Many specimens 



