1504 Bulletin ^7, United States National Museum. 



spots of similar color; iins plain; vertical fins somewhat edged with 

 dusky; specimens occasionally uniform brassy, witliout bars. Length 1 

 foot. Pacijfic coast, from Cape Flattery to San Diego ; very abundant ou 

 sandy shores, {argenteua, silvery.) 



Amphistichus argentcus, Agassiz, Amer. Journ. Bci. Arts., May, 1854, 367, San Francisco; 



GiBARD, U. S. Pac. R. K. Surv., x, Fishes, 201. 

 Mytilophagui fasciatus, Gibbons, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Pliila., July, 1854, 125, San Francisco. 

 Amphistichus /leerwawni, GlKAED, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1854, 135, Cape Flattery; San 



Francisco. 

 Amphistichus similis, Gikard, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1854, 153, San Francisco. 

 Ditrema argenteum, Gunther, Cat., iv, 251. 

 Amphiitichus argentcus, Jordan & Gu^beet, Synopsis, 593 ; Eigknsiann & Ulrey, I. c, 389. 



607. EMBIOTOCA, Agassiz. 

 Embiotoca, Agassiz, Amer. Journ. Sci. Arts, xvi, November, 1853, 386 (jacksoni). 



Body oblong, more or less elevated, somewhat compressed, the caudal 

 peduncle robust. Head moderate, the lower jaw included. Lips moderate, 

 the lower with a frenum. Maxillary short, its whole length slipping under 

 the preorbital. Teeth few, conical, blunt ish, in 1 series. Gill rakers 

 weak, rather short and slender. Pharyngeals normal, the anterior and 

 lateral teeth small, conic, the median and posterior large, truncate molars; 

 males with a gland on some of the anterior anal rays, but none of them 

 modified to form a definite plate; vertebrie 14-f 18 or 19, the base of anal 

 below 9 caudal vertebra- ; first haemal spine small, applied to the second. 

 Caudal fin lunate; anal fin rather long, much longer than abdomen, its 

 spines small. Scales small, about 60 iu the lateral line. One species. This 

 genus is very close to the Japanese genus, Ditrema, Temminok & Schlegel, 

 1847, the longest known member of the family. Ditrema temnmiclii is in 

 form, color, and appearance between Embiotoca and I'harierodon. Its scales 

 are very small (70 to 75) and the lower pharyngeals are quite small, the 

 teeth all conic and rather slender. (tV/^'og, living within; toho?, off- 

 spring; an euphonious and appropriate name which is fortunately to be 

 retained. ) 



1890. EMBIOTOCA JACKSONI, Agassiz. 



(Common Surf-fish ; Black Perch.) 



Head 3Jr ; depth 2. D. IX or X, 20 ; A. Ill, 25 ; scales 10-58-18. Form ovate, 

 rather thick, the outline convex. Mouth rather small. Gill rakers short 

 and stout, about 15 below angle. Dorsal spines low, much lower than the 

 soft rays; pectoral triangular in outline, not reaching past tips of ven- 

 trals, which reach nearly to front of anal ; origin of ventral spine about 

 2 scales behind the vertical from posterior end of base of pectoral ; 

 third anal spine less than i as long as first rays; caudal peduncle thick- 

 ish, the fin not widely forked. Scales on cheeks in 4 series. Brownish, 

 tinged with green, blue, red, or yellowish ; sides with about 10 faint, ver- 

 tical, dusky bars ; belly usually yellowish ; head with blue spots ; fins 

 dusky, tinged with blue or red; anal in males sometimes red with a black 

 patch, and the ventrals orange. Colors extremely variable, the pattern 



