1887.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 513 



DESCRIPTION OP A NEW SPECIES OP THYRSITOPS (T. VIOLACEUS) 

 PROM THE FISHING-BANKS OPP THE NEW ENGLAND COAST. 



By TABIiETOIV II. BEAJV. 



On the 7th of November, 1887, the National Mnseniu received from 

 Mr. W. A. Wilcox, agent of the U. S. Fish Commission at Gloncester, 

 Mass., two fresh fishes, a Blue Chimnera, G. affinis, and a species of Thyr- 

 sitops, which does not appear to agree with any of the described species. 

 The latter was canght by Capt. Thomas Thompson, schooner M. A.Bas- 

 ton, on Le Have Bank, in 125 fathoms. 



The Thyrsitops is nnmber 39287 of the fish register. It is 44 inches 

 long to the base of the middle caudal rays. It is more nearly related to 

 leindopoides than to any other species ; in lact, it is not very closely re- 

 lated to any of the others. If we may trust the figures and descriptions 

 of T. lepidopoidcs our new species has a larger number of dorsal spines 

 and rays and a much smaller number of dorsal and anal finlets. T. 

 lepidopoides is said to be uniform silvery, the back somewhat plumbeous 

 and the fins gray. Our species is uniformly purplish brown, the spin- 

 ous dorsal, pectorals, ventrals, and inside of the mouth blackish. 



The body is stout, its greatest width beingexactly one-half of the height 

 at the anal origin. The greatest height of the body is one-half of the 

 length of the head, and is contained 8 times in the total length without 

 caudal. The length of the head is one-fourth of the standard length ; 

 its greatest width is contained U times in its length. The width of the 

 interorbital area is slightly greater than the length of the eye, which is 

 contained nearly 7^- times in the length of the head and 3i times in the 

 length of the uijper jaw. The least height of the tail equals the width 

 of the interorbital area. The length of the snout equals twice the length 

 of the longest dorsal spine, and one-half the distance from the tip of 

 the snout to the origin of the spinous dorsal. The maxilla extends to 

 the vertical through the front of the eye. The length of the upper jaw 

 equals 3^ times the width of the interorbital space. The mandible 

 reaches to the vertical through the hind margin of the eye; its length, 

 including the fleshy tip, is 5 times the width of the interorbital area 

 The anterior nostril is smaller than the posterior; it is situated in ad- 

 vance of the eye one diameter of tbe eye. The posterior nostril is a 

 narrow slit placed midway between the anterior and the eye. Strong 

 teeth on the intermaxillary and mandible. Three large fangs anteriorly 

 in the roof of the mouth ; pseudobranchije well developed ; no trace of 

 gill-rakers. The spinous dorsal begins at a distance from the snout, 

 which equals twice the length of the suout; it is highest in the middle. 

 The ninth and thirteenth spines are slightly longer than the third spine 

 .and more than twice as long as the twentieth, their length equaling 

 one-half that of the snout. The soft dorsal is highest anteriorly, its long- 

 est ray, the fifth, being nearly twice the least height of the tail. The 

 Caudal is forked ; its middle rays about one-half as long as the external 

 Proc. N. M. 87 33 



