Jordan and Eveiiuaiin. — Fishes of A^orth America. 1997 



in spines, but bear small cirri simil.ar to those abovp eye. Like the latter, 

 they may be indistinct or wanting. Maxillary reaching vertical fmni 

 posterior margin of pnpil, 2' in head; eye 3j, slightly exceeding snout. 

 Nasal spines very strong. Two short spines diverge from angle of pre- 

 opercle, the upper one slightly curved, directed upward and backward, 

 \ the diameter of orbit, the lower directed straight backward, f the 

 length of the upper one. Below these a short spinous projection con- 

 cealed in the skin, and a longer spine directed downward and forward; 

 opercle with 3 lengthwise ridges, the uppermost ending in a detinite sharp 

 spine; snbopercular spine well developed; 1 also at posterior end of inter- 

 opercle, and 1 at shoulder. Gill membranes liroadly joined to isthmus, 

 with a wide free fold posteriorly; a few small prickly plates behind axil 

 of pectorals; skin otherwise smooth; occiput and nape thickly covered 

 with minute dermal papilhe, interspersed with very small mucous pores, 

 which are distributed also over the anterior part of the head; pores on 

 mandible and preojiercular margin small, not better developed than in 

 other species of Forocottus. Lateral line giving off pairs of short diverg- 

 ing branches, at the tips of which are the pores. Dorsals connected at 

 extreme base; soft dorsal terminating slightly behind the anal; fins all 

 low; ventrals reaching vent; pectorals to opposite third ray of anal. 

 Color in spirits: Uijper parts brownish, with 2 very conspicuous white 

 saddle-shaped bars extending downward and forward from back, the 

 first, about as wide as orbit, extending from below the dorsal notch in a 

 straight line toward hnver axil of pectorals, including above, the posterior 

 margin of spinous dorsal, and the extreme basal portion of first rays of 

 soft dorsal; the second bar including dorsally the terminal portion of soft 

 dorsal onto which it extends, and the anterior portion of caudal peduncle ; 

 like the anterior bar, it is variable in width, extending forward and down- 

 ward to below caudal peduncle; the ground color becoming intensified 

 along the margins of these light bars ; caudal with a light basal T>ar which 

 becomes widened and pure white in its lower half, adding I to the series 

 of conspicuous light markings; in some specimeus, these white bars are 

 tinged, with brownish, hence less conspicuous; under parts whitish; lips 

 and lower jaw with light and dark cross bars, which are often indistinct; 

 branchiostegal membranes sometimes with indistinct cross bars; the 

 darker interspaces below soft dorsal and on caudal peduncle usually 

 encircle the body below, but are sometimes (in males) broken on middle 

 of sides with spots and blotches of white (see figui-e in Nelson's report 

 cited below); axil of pectorals usiially with 2 round white spots, most 

 distinct in males; basal portion of anterior face of pectorals dusky or 

 black, in males with 2 round white spots; fin distally barred with light 

 and dark; caudal cross barred; anal and ventrals with faint cross bars, 

 or plain; dorsal blackish. Taken abundantly in Bristol Bay, Bering Sea, 

 and neighboring parts of the Arctic, in depths 5 to 17 fathoms. We ai-e 

 unable to follow Dr. Bean in identifying this fish with Forocottus quadri- 

 fiUs, Gill (Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1859, 166). The latter is described 

 as having a single hooked preopercular spine, an opercle without rib or 

 spine, and large pores on head and lower jaw. None of these applies to 



