PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 407 



35. Dermatolepis punctatus. 



Dermatolepis jmnctatus, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1861, 54 (Cape San 

 Lucas) ; Gill, op. cit., 1862, 250; Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 

 229, 1881 (Socorro Island). 



Habitat. — Lower California ; Eevillagigedo Islands. 



Head, 2-,%- (3^) ; depth, 2| (3). D. XI, 19 ; A. Ill, 9. Scales, 24- 

 llo-x. Length (28223, Eevillagigedo Islands), 14 inches. 



Body comparatively short and deep, strongly compressed, the back 

 elevated, the anterior profile forming a slight re-entrant angle before 

 the eye, thence nearly straight to the nape. Head compressed, the 

 snout short, moderately pointed, 4 in head. Eye small, 6^ in head. 

 Interorbital space quite narrow, anteriorly with a broad groove, which 

 receives the spines of the premaxillaries, its width 7^ in head. Cra- 

 nium posteriorly narrow, strongly convex transversely. Mouth rather 

 small, oblique, the jaws subequal, the broad maxillary extending to- 

 below the middle of the eye, its length 2^ in head. Supplemental max- 

 illary well developed. 



Teeth small, formed as in other Epinevlielij but with no canines in 

 either jaw, not even rudimentary ones. Preopercle not serrated any- 

 where, its upper part with a few irregular crenations, its angle not 

 salient, its emargiuation obsolete. 



Opercle with a rudimentary spine, above which is a flat lobe. Opercu- 

 lar flap extending beyond the spine for a distance nearly equal to the 

 diameter of the eye. 



Gill-rakers shortish, about 13 on lower part of anterior arch. Nos- 

 trils small, round, close together, the posterior one the larger. 



Scales small,. cycloid, somewhat imbedded in the skin. Maxillary, 

 preorbital, and tip of snout naked. 



Dorsal spines low, strong, subequal, the longest 4 in head; soft dor- 

 sal elevated, the longest ray 23^0 in head. Caudal long, subtruucate, 

 with rounded angles. If in head. Anal very high, rounded, its middle 

 rays 2| in head. Anal si^ines short and strong, graduated, the second 

 spine 5 in head. Pectorals short, not nearly reaching vent, 1^ in head. 

 Ventrals short, 2| in head. 



Color in spirits dusky brown, mottled with darker. Head, body, and 

 fins covered with rounded, whitish blotches, very irregular in form and 

 size, none of them so large as the eye, these spots most distinct on the 

 body. Head, breast, and branchiostegals thickly covered with smaller, 

 round, dark spots, very distinct on the jaws and on the membrane of 

 the maxillary. Top of head with some dark longitudinal streaks. Pec- 

 toral with small black spots. Other fins blackish, with pale spots like 

 those on the bodj, but smaller. 



This species is known only from three specimens, two of them now 

 unfortunately destroyed, the third, from Socorro Island, now in the 

 United States National Museum. From th« latter the foregoing descrip- 

 tion was taken. The very close resemblance existing between B. puno- 



