1286 BuUethi //, U}iited States Natio7ial Museum. 



longest soft ray 2f in head ; soft dorsal, anal and base of ventrals closely 

 covered with small scales ; caudal deeply forked, its peduncle slender, its 

 upper lobe li in head; pectorals long, pointed, 1* in head; ventrals reach- 

 ing slightly more than I distance to vent, 1? in head; axillary scale of 

 ventrals well developed. Color grayish-black above, silvery below, with 

 about 7 distinct black, straight, parallel stripes ou back and sides, which 

 extend across opercles and cheeks, those above lateral line indistinct in 

 old specimens; the upper stripes about as wide as the interspaces, the 

 lower narrower; top of head with distinct stripes; fins dusky, except the 

 ventrals. Length about a foot. Galapagos Islands; locally common; 

 a remarkably graceful and active fish. (Named for Mrs. Jessie Knight 

 Jordan.) 



Xenocys jessiw, Jordan & Bollman, Proc. IJ. S. Nat. Mus. 1889, 160, Charles Island, 

 Galapagos Archipelago (Type, No. 41166, U. S. N. M. Coll. Albatross); JORDAN, Proc. 

 Cal. Ac. Sci. 1896, 220, pi. 24. 



534. XENISTIUS, Jordan & Gilbert. 



Xenigtius, Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 920, 1883 (calif orniensis) . 



This genus is closely related to Xeniehthys, but it is remarkably dis- 

 tinguished by the relative development of the vertical fins, the soft dorsal 

 and anal being similar to each other and shorter than the spinous dorsal. 

 One species known, {^evoi, strange; Idtiov, .sail, dorsal fin.) 



1658. XENISTIUS CALIFORNIEINSIS (Steindachner). 



Head 3 to H; depth 3 to 3i. D. Xl-1, 12; A. Ill, 10; scales, 7-52-13. 

 Body oblong-elliptical, the back a little elevated; head compressed; 

 mouth moderate, terminal, very oblique, the lower jaw strongly protrud- 

 ing; maxillary narrow, reaching front of pupil, 2i in head; eye large, 3^ 

 to 3^ in head, the eye smaller and the bones of the liead firmer than in 

 Xeniclithjis xanti; teeth small, sharp, in very narrow bauds, those on vomer 

 in a A-shape<l patch, but so small as to be scarcely appreciable; preoper- 

 cle with fine sharp serra- ; nostrils small, round. Gill rakers long and 

 slender, 1 1 -f 15 to 20 ; scales small, firm ; dorsal fins almost separate ; spines 

 slender but pungent; third and fourth dorsal spines longest, If in head, 

 the others gradually shortened; soft dorsal and anal similar to each other, 

 short, shorter than spinous dorsal, the anterior rays much higher than in 

 the species of Xeniehthys; first soft ray of anal 3 in head; soft dorsal and 

 anal scaly; pectoral fins rather long, li in head, not reaching vent; color 

 bluish above, silvery below; continuous dark orange brown stripes on 

 upper part of body, 3 above lateral line, 3 or 4 below ; upper fins dusky, 

 lower mostly pale. Length about a foot. Pacific coast of America from 

 San Diego southward to La Paz and Guayraas ; rather common southward ; 

 a pretty and interesting fish. 



Xeniehthys californiensis, Stkindachner, Ichth. Beitrage, in, 3, 1875, San Diego; Jor- 

 dan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 547. 

 Xenistius californiensis, Jordan & Fesler, Review Sparold Fishes, 460, 1893. 



