Jordan and EvcrDiann. — Fishes of North America. 2037 



2399. AGONOMALUS PROBOSCIDALIS (Valenciennes). 



Height of body 5^^ iu total length; greatest width of abdomen f of 

 height. Br. 6; D. YIII, 6; A. 12; P. 11; V. 3 (I, 2); C. 2-11-2. Body 

 slender, compressed. Side of body throughout its length with 2 rows of 

 spinous plates, 1 above and 1 below lateral line, the plates oval, radially 

 striated, the spines high, curved, compressed upon middle of plates. 

 Behind pectoral girdle, between first jilates of superior and inferior 

 spinous series, a circular striated plate with a small spine; a small spine 

 upon a plate on the pectoral girdle al)ove insertion of pectoral fin. Sides 

 between lateral spinous series a little concave. The rounded, somewhat 

 prominent abdomen with small striated plates armed with low blunt 

 tubercles. Profile of body rising vertically behind nape and under first 

 spine of first dorsal, running iu a straight line to second dorsal, rising a 

 little under this fin, and descending gradually to caudal. Inferior profile 

 nearly rectilinear. Head small, compressed, with a thick long median 

 barbel at tip of snout; supraocular ridges high, passing down anterior 

 border of orbit; the supraocular spines large, fiat, thin; interorbital space 

 deeply concave, with a small longitudinal ridge; nasal spines preseut ; a 

 pair of occipital spines present; also a suprascapular tubercle; none on 

 opercle, but a large, oblong, compressed spine on preopercle and 1 on 

 suborbital; eye large, circular, 4 in head. The preorbital with ridges, 

 ending at its lower border in strong denticulations. Mouth small ; lower 

 jaw shorter than the upper; teeth excessively small; none on palatines. 

 Spines of first dorsal large, curved, and higher than the body beneath 

 them; second dorsal lower, its rays strong andcmved; anal very long; 

 caudal narrow and rounded; pectoral very large, its longest rays equal to 

 longest spines of first dorsal; rays simple and rough; ventrals small. 

 Lateral line indicated by a series of small longitudinal "traits" set ofi" on 

 naked space between the 2 longitudinal series of large spinous plates (after 

 Valenciennes). Guichenot says the total length is scarcely 6| inches 

 (111 cm.). His figure, which seems to be good, furuishes the following 

 facts: About 7 plates of the superior lateral series between the adjacent 

 rays of first and second dorsals, and aljout 2 between posterior edge of 

 membrane of first dorsal and first ray of second dorsal ; 10 plates from 

 last ray of second dorsal to base of caudal. A small but distinct tubercle 

 or spine posteriorly at base of supraocular spine. Occipital spine appar- 

 ently very close to elevated part of back, but distinct ; in front of its base 

 a small but distinct tubercle, as in Hypsmjonus qnadricoinis. Spines of 

 first dorsal all exserted, the first for about i of its length; all rays of 

 anal exserted, the anterior 3 or 4 for about f of their length; posterior 

 anal rays (except the last) longest; all rays of pectoral considerably 

 exserted (about i of their length) ; 27 spinous plates in the series above 

 lateral line, 30 in the series below lateral line. One specimen known, 

 taken in 1 of the coves of the Port of the Emperor Nicolas, Gulf of Tar- 

 tary (Nicolaevsk, mouth of Amur River, west of the Island of Saghalien). 

 (Guichenot.) {proboscidalis, bearing a proboscis; in allusion to the i>romi- 

 ueut barbel on snout.) 



