PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. Bl 



9. Platophrys iiebularis. 



Body ovate, deep anteriorly, the profile descending steeply, rendered 

 abruptly concave in front of interorbital space by the conspicuously pro- 

 jecting short snout. Mouth very small and oblique, the maxillary reach- 

 ing vertical from front of lower eye, 3f in head ; tip of lower jaw en- 

 tering the profile. Teeth fine, conical, in two series in the upper jaw^ 

 one in the lower; those of the outer row^ in upper jaw larger anduiore 

 widely separated than those of the inner series. 



Snout very short, about one-fifth head, equaling interorbital width. 

 Interorbital space narrow, deeply concave, closely scaled. Eyes large, 

 the lower iu advance of upper, its diameter 3| in head. Gill-rakers 

 obsolete, 7 rudiments on horizonal branch of anterior arch. 



Scales moderate, not extending on the fins, those on colored side 

 ctenoid, those on blind side smooth. Arch of lateral line short and 

 high, its base contained U to 5 times iu the straight portion. 



Dorsal beginning opposite anterior nostril, the rays nearly uniform 

 in length, the longest about half head. Pectoral of colored side 4f iu 

 length. Ventral of colored side beginning under middle of lower eye, 

 with six rays ; the right ventral with five rays. 



Head 4 in length ; depth 1^. -D. 85 ; A. 64. L. lat. 75 (pores). 



COLOK, IN LIFE. — Light grayish with reddish tinge, covered with 

 small round spots of darker gray and with lighter rings inclosing 

 spaces of the ground color. Vertical fins similarly colored, with a small 

 black spot near base of each ninth or tenth ray. Two black spots on 

 median line of body divide the length into nearly equal thirds; some 

 other small black spots scattei ed over colored side. 



This species is very common at Key West in clear, shallow water on 

 sandy bottom. The largest of the numerous specimens taken is 3 

 inches in length. 



The name Platophrys has priority over that of Rhomboidichthys 

 Bleeker. We have therefore adopted it instead of the latter. 



10. Acliirus comifer. Subgeuus Beeostoma Beau. 



Eyes small, nearly twice the interorbital space, 6 in head. Pectoral 

 of colored side well developed, half as long as head ; that of blind side 

 w-holly wanting in all our specimens. Dorsal and anal of equal height, 

 the posterior rays lougest, two-thirds length of head. Caudal rather 

 sharply pointed, slightly more than one-third length of body. 



Scales small, those on front of head and along back anteriorly en- 

 larged and spinous, the largest perhaps three times as large as those on 

 sides. Eight side of body beset with conspicuous black ciline, some of 

 them clustered together ; six of these clusters are more evident than the 

 others, three above and three below lateral line. 



Head 3^ in length; depth If. D. 50; A. 37. Scales in 65 oblique 

 series. 



Head, body, and fins somewhat mottled with varying shades of olive- 

 gray, some of the darker marking with a tendency to form vertical lines ; 



