438 FISHES COLLECTED BY THE ALBATROSS— GlLIiERT. vol. xix. 



Family SILUEID.E. 



TACHYSURUS LIROPUS, S. B. Bristol, new species. 



Allied to Tachysurus melanopns (Giinther). 



Head 33 to 3^; depth 4f to 5-^^; dorsal I, 0; anal 2, 1!); pectorals I, 

 9 or 10. 



liody elongate, its width anteriorly a little less than depth; the pos- 

 terior portion much compressed; the back elevated at front of dorsal; 

 anterior i)rohle from front of dorsal to tip of snout oblique. Head flat, 

 very broad, its width 1^ in its length. Snout broad, rounded, l-^V to 

 1^ in interorbital width. Eye rather large, laterally i)laced, its widtli 

 about If in its length, 4^ to 4-1%- in head. Mouth small, upper jaw con- 

 siderably projecting, its breadth 2f to 3 in head. Jaws thin; wide 

 bands of minute pointed teeth present on both jaws. Vomerine bands 

 widely separated and indistinguishable from the iialatine band, which 

 is small, oblong-ovate and scarcely prolonged backward; interval sepa- 

 rating vomerine bands about 2i or 3 in eye; the teeth on these bands 

 larger than those on jaws, and very bluntly conical. Interorbital space 

 broad, 2i to 3 in head. Barbels long and slender, the maxillary barbel 

 extending to, nearly to, or, in some cases, past base of pectoral, 1 yV to 

 If in head; outer mental barbel li to 1^ in head ; inner mental barbels 

 2^ to 2| in head. Dorsal shield very short, narrowly crescent- shaped; 

 its length on the median line about 2 or 3 in its width. Occipital proc- 

 ess subtriangular, a little longer than broad at base; its edge slightly 

 concave; its median keel strong. The long, narrow groove of the 

 fontanelle beginning abrujDtly a short distance in front of occipital keel, 

 the distance from its end to base of dorsal If to 2 in the distance to tip 

 of snout. Shields of head rather smooth, finely granular, the granules 

 forming distinct lines anteriorly. The flat area between eyes triangular, 

 with a median groove extending from fontanelle forward to tip of snout; 

 its posterior end a little l)ehind eye, the granulations on each side of it 

 extending forward as far as posterior border of pupil. Opercles with 

 no radiating striae. Gill membranes forming a v^ery narrow fold across 

 the isthmus. Gill rakers 5+12. Nostrils large, i)laced close together 

 and near tip of snout; the i)osterior with large flap. Axillary pore 

 small, but evident, much smaller than nostrils. Humeral jirocess 

 smooth, short, 4 to 5^ in pectoral spine. Base of dorsal 2f to 2,^^^ in 

 head; dorsal spine long and very strong, ly to Ij^ in head, its uiii)or 

 anterior serrje small and tubercle-like; its upper posterior and its 

 lower edges retrorsely serrate: the soft rays extending considerably 

 beyond the spine, 1^ to 1^ in head. Adipose fin small, its base 3A to 4A 

 in head, its height If to 2 in its base. Caudal widely forked, the upper 

 lobe, measured from base of (caudal to its tij), the longer, about 1:^ in 

 head. Base of anal If to If in head, its longest ray 2J to 2^ in head. 

 Ventrals reaching five-sixths to seven-eighths the distance to origin of 

 anal; vent about midway between origin of ventrals and origin of anal. 



