326 Memoir Sears Foundation for Marine Research 



about halfway between mouth and tip of snout, its expanded posterior (outer) margin 

 a little jagged. First to third gill openings (longest) about half as long as eye; distance 

 between inner ends of fifth gills about twice as long as distance between nostrils. Free 

 margin of nasal curtain shorter than in most rajids, deeply fringed with narrow rounded 

 lobelets. Mouth a little arched centrally in young specimens, perhaps more so in males 

 at maturity. 2' 



Teeth ^ in specimen counted, moderately close-set in quincunx, thorn-like with 

 needle-sharp cusp curved rearward (into the mouth) on longitudinally oval base; only 

 about three rows in function simultaneously in small specimens but perhaps more in 

 larger ones. 



Figure 78. Dactylobatus armatus, same as in Fig. 77. A Mouth and nostrils, about 1.8 X. B Lower surface of 

 outer corner of left-hand pectoral fin, about 1.8 X. C Upper teeth from near center of jaw, about 17 X. 



Dorsal fins rounded, close to tip of tail, confluent at base or nearly so, without 

 intervening thorn; base of first dorsal about as long as distance between orbits, the 

 second dorsal a little smaller. Caudal membrane about 37 "/o as long as base of first 

 dorsal. Pelvics only weakly concave outwardly but continuously so nearly to rear tips 

 and rather strongly scalloped along midsector; anterior margin about 65 % as long 

 as distance from its own origin to rear tip of pelvic; tip of anterior lobe rather narrowly 

 rounded, rear corners narrowly so, reaching back a little more than 1/3 the distance 

 from axils of pectorals toward first dorsal. Claspers of mature male not seen. 



Anterior rays of pectorals reaching nearly to level of tip of snout. 



Color. Upper surface ashy gray after many years in alcohol; irregularly marked 

 with sooty or blackish spots and blotches of difi^erent sizes, round to long-oval in shape; 

 upper margins of first and second dorsals sooty. Lower surface yellowish white, vaguely 

 clouded with mouse gray but described as appearing more or less pinkish with brown 

 spots after removal of the mucous that is coagulated by the preservative; posterior 

 margins of pectorals and pelvics smoky. 



Size. The claspers of a male 278 mm long are so small (Fig. 77) as to suggest 



25. Sexually mature specimens have not been seen. 



