PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 539 



DESCRIPTION OF A NE^W SPECIES OF FLOUNDER, CITHARICHTHYS 

 MACROPS, FROM PENSACOLA, FLORIDA. 



By 11. «. DREJilEL., Ensign JJ. S. Navy. 



Citharichthys macrops, sp. nov. 



The type of this speciies, No. 21500 in the National Museum collec 

 tion, is a fine example, 5 inches in length, obtained bj'^ Mr. Silas Stearns 

 at Pensacola, Fla. 



It somewhat resembles C. microstomus Gill, but the mouth is compar- 

 atively much larger, the body less elongate, and the scales are differ- 

 ent. From C. spiloptcrus Giinther, it differs in the greater height of the 

 body, shorter head, larger scales, and much larger eye. 



Bescrlption. — The body is suboval; the greatest depth being con- 

 tained not quite 2 times in the total length to caudal base. The 

 upi^er profile is very convex, descending in a steep curve from the nape 

 to in front of the upper eye, where it forms an abrupt angle with the 

 short, blunt snout. The mouth is moderate, very oblique, and curved. 

 The maxilla reaches to the vertical through the center of the orbit, 

 its length beiiig contained 2J times in the length of the head, and 

 that of the mandible being about one-half of the length of the head. 

 The teeth are minute, in a single series in the jaws, those of the blind 

 side slightly more developed than the others. Tl^e eyes are large, sep- 

 arated by a narrow scaleless ridge, which is curved upward and back 

 to the upper angle of the gill-opening. The upper eye is very close to 

 the profile, slightly longer than the lower, its longitudinal diameter 

 being contained 3J times in the length of the head, that of the lower 

 eye about 4 times. Their anterior margins are in the same vertical line. 

 The snout is shorter than the eye, its length being one-fifth of that of the 

 head. The gill-rakers are moderate, the longest being about oue-half 

 as long as the eye ; there are C above and 13 below the angle of the 

 anterior arch. 



The scales are large, apparently not ciliated. No accessory scales. 

 Each scale is narrowly striated along its middle, and the posterior 

 borders meet in a well-defined obtuse angle, giving a lozenge-shaped 

 appearance to the imbrication. The scales of the pectoral region are 

 somewhat reduced in size. There are 41 scales in the lateral line, 14 

 transverse rows above and 16 below, at the greatest depth of body ; lo 

 ibove and 13 below at the middle of the lateral line. The cheek of the 

 blind side has 8 series of scales. 



The dorsal fin begins on the blind side near the tip of the snout. The 

 anterior rays are deeply exserted, tbe first ray being as long as the eye. 

 The fin is highest at its middle portion, the longest ray being slightly 

 longer than one-half the length of the head. The anal origin is below 

 the axis of the pectoral fin, its distance from the tip of the snout being 



