2368 Bullethi 4.7, United States National Mtiseum. 



die of ventral surface ; 9 rows from origin of second dorsal to upper limb 

 of opercle; entire head, opercles, and Uns naked. Lateral line beginning 

 at upptu- limb of opercle ou a level with the pupil, almost exactly under 

 the middle of the first dorsal fin, and a little more than \ the distance from 

 top of nape to the under side of the throat, arching gently for 7 or 8 scales, 

 leaving but 1 row of scales between it and the first spines of the second 

 dorsal ; on tht' ninth, tenth, and eleventh scales it bears slightly downward 

 until 2 rows are left between it and the dorsal, then a shiirp turn is made 

 ■which puts it 4 scales further down, and from there it pursues a nearly 

 direct line to middle of base of caudal fin. Dorsal fins separate, the first 

 of 3 slender, very close-set, flexible spines, their length about twice in 

 that of head, the fin ribbon-shaped; second dorsal separated from first 

 by a distance somewhat greater than diameter of eye, and composed of 25 

 rather stout, sharp spines and 1 terminal soft ray; the first 3 are gradu- 

 ated, the first being contained \\ times in distance between the 2 fins, the 

 second is about \ longer, and the third still a little longer; the remaining 

 22 are of approximately equal length, about ec^ualing distance from origin 

 of first dorsal to that of second; the 1 soft ray somewhat shorter than 

 spines, well separated from caudal by a space equal to that between dor- 

 sals; pectorals inserted under middle of space separating dorsals, com- 

 posed of 14 rays, equaling eye and snout in length, and reaching slightly 

 past origin of anal; ventral of 2 rays inserted directly under origin of 

 first dorsal and considerably in front of pectorals, which they somewhat 

 exceed in length, in some specimens reaching vent; anal fin beginning 

 slightly in front of posterior end of pectorals, a little lower than second 

 dorsal and reaching a trifle nearer to caudal fin ; first spine longer and more 

 slender than the first regular dorsal spine, while the second equals the 

 third dorsal iu length. Caudal rounded, equaling in length the greatest 

 depth of fish. Coloration in alcohol, pale, pretty regularly covered with 

 very fine dark ]»unctulations, thickest on back, palest below ; a large dark 

 opercular blotch, 2 similar postocular blotches, and usually a darkish bar 

 extends downward from eye; upper half of preorbital region dark, outer 

 margin of jaws dark; breast and under parts of head pale, top of head 

 and nape dark ; first dorsal quite dark, almost black ; second dorsal pale, 

 obscurely mottled with brown, which is disposed in about 5 indistinct 

 areas; a large black ocellus upon the twelfth and thirteenth spines of sec- 

 ond dorsal, and a similar one upon the twenty-third and twenty-fourth 

 spines; each ocellus is surrounded bj"^ a narrow circle of white or pale 

 orange. In the 6 sjiecimens before us there is a slight variation as to the 

 exact position of the 2 ocelli; in 1 example the second ocellus extends 

 back ujiou the twenty-fifth spine also, but in every case the twelfth and 

 thirteenth and the twenty-third and twenty-fourth ai-e the spines which 

 most evidently locate the spots ; pectorals and ventrals plain; anal paler 

 than dorsal, sparsely covered with fine dark points, so grouped as to form 

 3 or 4 darker areas. Length 2^ inches. Gulf of California. Known from 

 6 specimens taken from masses of kelp hauled out by the seine from the 

 bay of Guaymas. (Jenkins & Evermann.) {asj^er, rough.) 



Auchenopterus asper, Jenkins & Evermann, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1888, 154, Guaymas, 

 Mexico. (Type, No. 39643. Coll. Jenkins & Evermann.) 



