Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North Amei-ica. 2311 



857. KATHETOSTOMA, Gunther. 



Kathetostoma, Ginther. Cat. Fish., ll, 231, 1860 (here). 



Body robust, formed as iu Astroscopus and Uranoscopits. Scales none. 

 One continuous dorsal without spines; ventrals jugular not adnate to the 

 abdomen; pectoral rays branched ; some bones of the head armed. Cav- 

 ity of the gills without superior opening; 6 branchiostegals ; pseudo- 

 branchi;e present. Air bladder none. Three species known, the type, Eatht- 

 tostoma la've, being from Australia. (HcxOEro?, vertical; drd^a, mouth.) 



a. Dorsal rays 13; anal 13: body shaded and dotted with blackish. A^^EERUNCUS, 2647. 

 aa. Dorsal rays 10; anal 12; body spotted with white. albigutta, 2648. 



2647, K.VTHETOSTOMA AVERKUNCUS, Jordan .•;: Bollman. 



Head 2f , 3h with caudal ; depth 3f . D. 13 ; A. 13. Body short and robust, 

 its width behind base of pectorals equal to length of top of head. Head very 

 large, its width at peropercle less than its length by I length of eye. Mouth 

 large, vertical; maxillary 2 in head. Snout If in eye. Eye rather small, 

 5 in head. Teeth of lower jaw largest, inner row of each jaw enlarged 

 and mos'able ; vomer and palatines with a few large, conical teeth. Lower 

 jaw without tentacle. Interorbital space lightly concave, 1^ times length 

 of eye. Premaxillary groove as broad as long, li in eye, obtuse behind, 

 extending backward just past middle of pupil. Distance between bases 

 of humeral spines Ij- in top of head. Preorbital with 3 spines in front 

 directed forward and downward. Preopercle with 3 spines below angle 

 directed downward and forward. Two antrorse spines on mandible, and 

 2 on breast before ventrals. Bones of top of head coarsely granular, 

 striate, no naked area above except premaxillary groove ; 2 points on 

 occipital region whence granular ridges radiate ; opercles and orbital bones 

 coarsely granular, 1>ut not striate. No trace of scales or of spinous dorsal. 

 Base of dorsal equal to base of anal, 1| in head, longest ray equal to depth 

 of cheek; pectorals I eye, length greater than that of top of head; 

 ventrals reaching more than halfway to Aent, their length equal to that 

 of top of head. A few small depressions resembling embedded scales on 

 region before dorsal and abo\e head. Color blackish l)rown, mottled with 

 paler; lower parts pale, dusted with brown; lips and gular region black; 

 dorsal dusty, with 5 indistinct, partly confluent, whitish spots along its 

 base ; anterior part of anal j^ale, posterior thickly dusted with blackish, 

 tips of rays pale; pectorals blackish, faintly barred; axil dusted outside, 

 inner part very pale; ventrals pale; caudal with 3 irregular oblique 

 dark bars; floor of mouth pinkish; tongue dusted with dark specks. 

 Length 44^ inches. Pacific Ocean, oft' coast of Colombia; a single speci- 

 men dredged at a depth of 7 fathoms; a most singular fish, {acerr uncus, 

 a deity which wards oft'; from the mailed head.) 

 Kathetostoma averruncus, Jordan iV P.ollman, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1889, 163, off coast of 



Colombia, at Albatross Station 2800, 8° 57' N., 79° 31' 30" "W. ; KlESCH, I. c, 259, 1889; 



Jordan, Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci. 1896, 229, pi. 31. 



