Jordan and Evcnnann.— Fishes of North America. 



2015 



on front of first dorsal, and by having the rays of the anal fin in th<> male 

 all connected by membrane; the first ray of anal is much shorter and 

 weaker in O. horeaUs. (horealis, northern.) 



Oligocottns barealis, Jordan & Snydeb, Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci. Series 2, vol. vi, 1896, 225, Neah 

 Bay. (Coll. E. C. Starts. Type, No. 3396. L. S. Jr. Univ. Mus.) 



746. OXYCOTTUS, Jordan & Evermann, new genus. 



Oxycottus, Jordan & Evermann, new genus (acutieeps). 



This genus is allied to Oligoeottus, differing in the absence of upward 



process on the sharp, upwardly curved preopercular spine. No slit behind 



last gill. (o|t;5, sharp ; Coitus.) 



a. Snout sharp ; anal rays 12 or 13. AcrTiCEPS, 2383. 



aa. Snout bluntish ; anal rays 10. '^mbryum, 2384. 



2383. OXYCOTTUS AOUTICEPS (Gilbert) .^ 

 Head 3+ to 3| ; eye 4 in head ; snout 4. D. VII or VIII, 15 or 16 ; A. 12 or 

 • 13 Head slenderer and with sharper snout than in 0. maculosus. Inter- 

 orbital space slightly concave, its width + eye; maxillary region verti- 

 cal just in front of the pupil, 3 in head. Cardiform teeth on jaws, vomer, 

 and palatine bones. Preopercular spine slender, sharp, curved upward 

 and inward, neither notched nor forked. Preopercular margin unarmed 

 below it; nasal spines sharp; occiput without ridges or spines; opercle 

 thickened above, ending behind in a rounded lobe; without definite ridge 

 or spine. Branchiostegals 6 ; no evident pores behind last gill ; gill mem- 

 branes broadly united, free from the isthmus. A cirrus at inner base of 

 nasal spines, 3 pairs evenly spaced on top of head, 1 above orbits, 1 

 posteriorly on occiput, and 1 midway between these 2; a cirrus at 

 ano-le of opercle; 1 above each pore on anterior portion of lateral hne; 

 sidles of body otherwise smooth, without further cirri and without axil- 

 lary and other prickles. Dorsal fin usually slightly joined at base; pec- 

 torals reaching to ox slightly beyond front of anal fin; ventrals short, 

 equaling length of snout and eye, extending halfway to front ot anal; 

 anus anterior in position, thus differing from 0. macdosus and C. anahs, 

 its distance from base of ventrals but i its distance from front ot anal 

 fin; pores of lateral line 33, each of the anterior IBusually accompanied by 

 a cirrus. Fin rays in 7 specimens are as follows : 



Color varying with the surroundings, often nearly uniform bright green. 

 When dark markings are present, we usually find 6 short wedge-shaped 

 dorsal bars, widening rapidly below, and joining one another by then- 

 extreme tips; below these a dusky wavy lengthwise streak, and another 

 wider one below lateral line, the latter marked posteriorly by round 

 white spots, the size of pupil; occiput dusky ; a black bar from eye to 

 snout; 1 from eye to behind maxillary; 1 from eye to base of preopercu- 



