Jordan and Evermsinn, — Fishes of North America. 2627 



2994. PARALICHTHTS ADSPERSUS (Steindachner). 



Head 3.V; depth 2J. D. 75; A. 58; scales 106; eye 6 in head; interor- 

 bital I vertical diameter of eye; inaxillary 2^; mandible 1§; pectoral 2; 

 caudal 19. Body moderately elongate and compressed; month large, the 

 maxillary reaching a little past eye; teeth large, sharp, and slightly 

 recurved, larger in front of jaws; snout very slightly produced; iuteroi'- 

 bital moderately wide, its posterior half with scales; antei-ior nostril with 

 a Hap which reaches to middle of posterior nostril ; gill rakers 3 to 6 + 15 to 

 17, hardly as long as eye. Snout and mandible naked ; end of maxillary and 

 rest of head with scales ; the rays of all the fins with small scales ; the mem- 

 brane naked; each scale on body Avith a row of accessory scales around 

 its posterior edge ; scales cycloid, the accessory scales giving the fish a 

 rough feeling; curve of lateral line nearly 5 in the straight part, pectoral 

 reaching slightly past curve of lateral line, its tip pointed ; pectoral of 

 blind side shorter, not reaching to end of curve, its tip blunt ; origin of 

 dorsal over anterior edge of upper eye, bending slightly toward the blind 

 side; caudal double Innate. ColOr brownish gray, tliickly mottled with 

 many larger aiul smaller spots, points, and rings; side with 3 or 4 larger 

 spots of irregular form and ocellated with paler. 



.Specimens taken by Ur. Jmdan at Mazatlan are described as follows: 

 •' Head 3^ ; depth about 2 in length of body. D. 73 (70 to 7fi) ; A. 57 (53 to 

 60) ; P. 12 ; V. 6. Scales on lateral line about 106 + 8 with .35 dorsally and 

 36 veutrally. Flesh firm. Body oblong, moderately compressed; mouth 

 large, oblique, the mandible very heavy, slightly projecting; 4 canine 

 teeth on each side of lower jaw in adult specimens, 8 in young, the 2 

 anterior teeth long; anterior teeth of upper jaw strong, but smaller than 

 those iu the lower jaw; the lateral teeth very small and close set. Eye 

 small, shorter than snout, about 7 (6 to 8) in length of head; interorbital 

 area smooth, flattish, f width of eye. Scales cycloid, small anteriorly 

 and larger posteriorly; lateral line strongly arched anteriorly, arch about 

 7,\ in straight part. Gill rakers of medium length, broad, retrorse-serrate 

 on inner side, longest about | length of eye, from 4 + 13 to 5 + 14 in num- 

 ber, counted in 8 specimens; i^ectoral fin about as long as mandible, 

 slightly more than \ length of head. Dorsal low, anterior origin opposite 

 anterior margin of eye; caudal barely double concave; caudal peduncle 

 very strong; anal spine obsolete; ventral fins small, inserted symmetric- 

 ally ; fins all scaly. Color : Large specimens are dark brown, with blotches 

 on tins; small specimens are covered with pearly white and very dark 

 brown blotches; the brown blotches almost circular, larger and with less 

 definite outlines near the center of the body, very dark and distinct on 

 caudal. Seven specimens were taken by the Hopkins Expedition in the 

 estuary wX, Mazatlau, where they reach a length of 44 cm. Several speci- 

 mens were also taken at La Paz. These specimens seem to be identical 

 with Faralichthiis adspersits. The original types have on an average more 

 gill rakers than we find in our Mazatlan specimens, but this character is 

 subject to variation, and no other distinction appears. In one of Dr. 

 Steindachner's types from Callao (No. 11,417, Mus. (Jomp. Zool.) we find the 

 gill rakers longer, 6 + 17 ; depth 2i iu length; D. 67; A. 51; scales 120; 



