2442 BuUctiyi //, United States National Museum. 



Family CCI. CRYPTACANTHODID^. 



(The Wry-mouths.) 



Body very long aud slender, compressed, naked or eovered with small, 

 cycloid scales; lateral line obsolete or composed of open pores without 

 tubes; head oblong, cuboid, with vertical cheeks; conspicuous mucif'erous 

 channels in mandible and preopercle; head flattish above, with dee]) 

 rounded pits between and behind eyes; mouth large, very oblique; lower 

 jaw very heavy, its tip projecting; premaxillary not protractile; jaws with 

 rather sharp, conical teeth; larger teeth on the vomer and sometimes on 

 palatines. Gill membranes joined to the isthmus, the gill openings pro- 

 longed forward below. Pyloric cjeca 5. Pseudobrauchiie small. Dorsal 

 fin long, composed entirely of spines, which are rather strong, but envel- 

 oped in tlie skin ; dorsal and anal joined to the caudal; no ventral fins; 

 pectorals short. Blennies of large size, of the Northern shores of America. 

 Three species known, forming 3 genera. {Blenniida: , genus Crijptacan- 

 thodes, Glinther, Cat., in, 291, 1861.) 



a. Body scaly; lateralline present, composed of open pores ; istbmus narrow; teeth on 

 palatines. Delolepis, 922. 



aa. Body naked; lateralline obsolete. 



c. Palatines with teeth; isthmus narrow. Cbyptacanthodes, 923. 



ec. Palatines toothless ; isthmus rather broad. Lyconectes, 924. 



922. DELOLEPIS, Bean, 



Delolepis, Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1882, 465 {virgatus). 



Body anguilliform, moderately compressed posteriorly, covered with 

 small, im))ricated, cycloid scales; vent nearly median; a small anal 

 papilla; lateral line continuous, straight, nearly median, composed of open 

 jiores, without prominent tubes. Head oblong, subquadrangular, naked, 

 the muciferous channels well developed, the vertex shallow concave ; snout 

 short, obtuse ; nostril tubular, close behind premaxillary ; eyes small, high, 

 separated by an interspace of moderate width, surrounded by a series of 

 shallow pits; mouth wide, oblique, terminal, the lower jaw projecting 

 beyond the upper; lips fleshy; premaxillaries slightly protractile, with 

 2 rows of small conical teeth; a few larger teeth at the symphysis; vomer 

 and palatines with a few rather large teeth; tongue smooth, adherent; 

 mandible with a few shallow pits, the scries continued on the posterior 

 border of preopercle; opercles unarmed. Gill membranes attached to a 

 narrow isthnms; gill rakers very short; pseudobrauchiie present. Branch- 

 iostegals 6. Pectorals short, jilaced low, their bases vertical; ventrals 

 none; dorsal beginning above gill opening, composed entirely of spines; 

 anal with 2 spines and many split rays; dorsal and anal continuous with 

 the caudal, which is rather long and pointed. Intestine short, with a few 

 pyloric caeca. ((5?^Ao?, visible; Af^rz's, scale.) 



2798. DELOFLEPIS VIRGATUS, Bean. 



Head 6; depth 10. D. LXXVI ; A. II, 46; P. 13; cajca 6. Width of head 

 equal to greatest depth of body ; interorbital area equal to snout, or A 

 length of maudible; maxillary reaching a little behind eye, its length 3 in 



