2406 Bulletin //, United States Ncxtional Museum. 



899. PSEDNOBLENNIUS, Jenkius &, Evermiinn. 



Psednoblenniiui, Jenkins & Evehmann, Proc. U. S. Nat. Uus. 1888, lfi6 {.Inrpacanthus). 



Body comprossed, elongate, uakcd; bead short, bluut; uo cirri; moutli 

 large, the jaws suhequal; teeth in a single series in each jaw, none on 

 vomer or palatines; lateral line not developed. Dorsal tins 2, the first at 

 the nape, of three flexible spines ; second dorsal with a few slender spines 

 which pass into the soft rays; anal much shorter than second dorsal, both 

 fins joined to base of caudal; dorsal rays III-3-i; anal 27; ventral rays 2, 

 the fin directly below pectorals. Apparently close to PhoUtUchthys, but 

 with the dorsal divided and changing gradually from spines to soft rays. 

 (jpsSvoi, naked; Blennius.) 



27G'2. PSEDNOBLEMVIUS HrPACANTHUS, Jenkius & Evermanu. 



Head -If (5 in total); depth 7 (8); eye 4, equal to snout; B. 6. D. III-34; 

 A. 27. Body greatly compressed, elongate; head short, snout blunt, about 

 equal to eye: anteorbital profile very steep, gently rounded from front of 

 eye to first dorsal, from there nearly straight to caudal ; ventral line nearly 

 straight. Body naked, no membranaceous appendages. Mouth large, 

 horizontal, jaws subequal, extending to beyond middle of eye. Teeth in 

 a single series in each jaw, well developed, pretty uniform in size, slightly 

 projecting backward; vomer and palatines a])parently smooth. Eye 

 large, equal to twice interorbital space, high up. Dorsal fins 2, the first 

 of 3 verj' slender, flexible spines, hard to distinguish from soft rays, but 

 they do not appear to be at all jointed. This fin is inserted upon the 

 nape immediately above the posterior edge of the preopercle, and a dis- 

 tance in front of second dorsal nearly equal to length of snout, its very 

 soft spines equal distance from end of snout to posterior rim of orbit; 

 second dorsal begins directly over origin of pectorals and extends to 

 caudal, with which it is slightly connected; first few rays of second 

 dorsal very weak, flexible spines, the last few pretty evidently soft, 

 jointed rays, while the intermediate ones are not distinguishable as 

 definite spines or soft rays — in short, there seems to be a gradual change 

 from spines to soft rays from the anterior to the posterior part of the fin. 

 This character, if we mistake not, is entirely unique. The fin is of nearly 

 uniform height, the rays about equaling those of the first dorsal in length; 

 anal similar to second dorsal in shape and height, but much shorter, its 

 origin being much behind that of the second dorsal or nearly halfway 

 from the snout to base of caudal; posteriorly it extends coterminously 

 with the dorsal, and, like it, is slightly joined to the caudal fin; caudal 

 fin apparently rounded, fan-shaped, but its shape can not be exactly made 

 out, as some of its rays are broken oft'; pectorals inserted below axis of 

 body, directly over veutrals, their length about | that of head ; veutrals 

 of 2 rays, inserted under pectorals, about equal to pectorals in length; 

 body entirely scaleless. Coloration" in alcohol, pale, mottled with fine- 

 dark points so arranged as to inclose circular areas with fewer spots; a 

 long dark blotch behind the axil, inclining downward and backward; 

 head covered with similar ijunctulatious ; opercles dusky; chin Avith 2 



