description: of a new species of THALASSOPHRYNE (THA- 

 lassophryne dov/i) from punta arenas and panama. 



By UAVI» S. JORDAIV and C'lIARt^ES II. Cill^^BERT. 



lu his stay in Piinama, in 1883, Professor Crilbert obtained a very fine 

 exaiii])le of a new species of Thalassophryne, well distinguished from 

 the live knoivii members of that genus by the large number of its dor- 

 sal and anal rays. This species received from us the manuscript name 

 of Thalassophri/ne doici, in honor of Capt. John jM. Dow, to whose 

 kindly interest Professor Gilbert has been greatly indebted in his 

 studies of the fishes of Panama, In the lire which destroyed the mu- 

 seum of the Indiana Iluiversity, the type of Th. doiri was burned and 

 the species has remained undescribed. 



Lately we have received from Dr. Burt G. Wilder, of Cornell Uni- 

 versity, three young specimens of this same species, two of them hav- 

 ing been dredged off Punta Arenas and the third in the bay of Pan- 

 ama. The largest of these, 3§ inches long, from Punta Arenas, may be 

 taken as the type of the species. 



Thalassophryne dow^i, sp. uov. 



Type No. 39085 U. S. Nat. Mus. From Punta Arenas. 



Head 4 in length (4| with caudal). Depth 5| (Gf). D. II, 33; A. 30. 



Body comparatively elongate, compressed behind. Head low and 

 rather narrow, its width 1^ in its length. Eyes very small, the diam- 

 eter not half the interorbital space, and about as long as snout, 8 in 

 bead. Interorbital width about 5^ in head. Opercular spine short, 

 nearly 4 in head. Mouth oblique, the lower jaw much projecting. Max- 

 illary 2 in head, extending to beyond eye. Teeth small, those on the pala- 

 tineslargest; teeth of upper jaw smaller than those of the lower. Ante- 

 rior teeth of the lower jaw in about two series. Pectoral fins long, 1^ 

 in head, reaching about to fifth anal ray. Last rays of dorsal and anal 

 fully joined to the caudal. 



The color is nearly lost in the specimens examined by us. The first 

 dorsal is blackish, and there are traces of bluish spots on the body. 

 Otherwise these specimens are immaculate. It is probable that in life 

 the species has no very sharply defined markings ; but the paleness of 

 our exami)les is apparently due to their having been allowed to stand 

 in open sun light. 



Indiana University, June 2, 1887. 



[Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. X.] 



388 



