1444 Bulletin ^7, United States National Uluseum. 



States, Charleston to Texas; a small fish, rather rare on our coast, and 

 from rather deep water; the specimen here described obtained at Charles- 

 ton, (lanceolatus, lanceolate, from the form of the caudal.) 

 Homoprion lanceolatus, Holbkook, Icbthyol. S. Carolina, Ed. 1, 168, pi. 23, 1856, Port 



Royal Sound, Beaufort, S. C; Girard, IT. S. and Mex. Bound. Survey, 11, 1859. 

 Scicena lanceolata, Gunther, Cat., ii, 289, I860; Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis. 931, 1883. 

 Slelliferus lanceolatus, GooDE, Proc. U, S. Nat. Mua. 1881,113; Jordan & Eigenmann, I.e., 



394, ]889. 

 Hciaina stellifera, Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 569, 1883. 



1826. STELLIPER ERICTMBA (Jordan & Gilbert). 



Head 3i; depth 3i; eye 5 in head; snout 5; D. XII-I, 23 or 24; A. II, 7 

 or 8; scales 5-48-8, Body short and stout, little compressed, the back 

 somewhat elevated, the caudal peduncle slender ; profile nearly straight 

 and not steep, from the scarcely truncate snout to the occiput, where 

 an angle is formed, the rise thence to the base of the dorsal being more 

 steep ; head very broad, with very cavernous preopercle, preorbital, and 

 cranium; interorbital space broad, flat, its least width equal to snout 

 and ^ of eye, about twice diameter of small eye, 2| in length of head. 

 Snout very short, not piojecting beyond premaxillaries; supraocular 

 ridges prominent ; a cross ridge on forehead connecting nostrils ; mouth 

 terminal, oblique, smaller, and more oblique than in S. furthi, its gape 

 2| in length of head; premaxillaries in front on the level of the lower 

 part of the eye; maxillary reaching to opposite posterior border of 

 pupil ; front of premaxillaries extending farther forward than tip of snout. 

 Teeth much as in S. furthi; upper jaw with an external series of small, 

 slender teeth, behind which are 2 or 3 rows of smaller teeth ; lower jaw Avith 

 a narrow villiform band; pores of chin obscure; symphyseal knob small. 

 Edge of preopercle with several (about 7) rather strong, slender, radiating 

 teeth, the 3 near the angle largest, none of them directed downward 

 or forward. Gill rakers long and slender, 11+18, much more than | 

 diameter of eye; pseudobranchiie small. Suprascapula prominent, with 

 slender teeth. Scales large, rather strongly ctenoid; lateral line very 

 strongly arched, becoming straight just in front of insertion of anal. 

 Vertical fins covered with small scales. Spinous dorsal low, the second 

 spine much stouter than those succeeding, stifi'; other spines very slender 

 and flexible; second spine as long as snout and ^ of eye; third spine | 

 length of head ; soft dorsal low, rather lower than the spines. Caudal tin 

 rhombic, the middle rays longest, f length of head ; least depth of caudal 

 peduncle | length of head; anal fin small, not very far back, its last rays 

 well in front of last of dorsal; distance from its first ray to front of caudal 

 3|- iu total length of fish (to base of caudal) ; its distance behind the vent 

 about equal to the length of its second spine which is 2^* in head, stout, 

 but shortish, lower than the soft rays; ventrals moderate, not reachiug 

 vent, coterminous with the pectorals, which are rather loug, | length of 

 head. Coloration dark brownish above, white below; everywhere with 

 dark points; upper part with bright-bluish reflections; lower parts with 



'Misprinted 4 in the original description. 



