1858 Bulletin //, United States National Mtisemn. 



body length. Caudal nearly truncate, middle rays 4J in body length; 

 first anal spine about 2i in second, the second longer than third ; longest 

 ray equals second spine; pectoral reaching slightly beyond vent, the rays 

 all simple, the tenth longest, 4 in length of body ; ventral reaching vent, 

 its spine 3 in head. General color light orange yellow (in life probably 

 roseate) ; 6 dark blotches on upper surface, first on nape, second at begin- 

 ning of spinous dorsal, third under fourth dorsal spine, fourth beginning 

 under seventh spine, fifth at origin and sixth near end of soft dorsal, the 

 largest about f eye; soft dorsal with numerous roundish dark blotches 

 on the skin covering the rays; caudal marked like soft dorsal; other fins 

 pale. Length 4i inches. Closely related to Pontiniis canariensis, but dis- 

 tinguished by shorter pectorals, longer second anal spine, more advanced 

 position of anal fin, suborbital crest, more advanced position of pectoral, 

 whose base is almost hidden under branchiostegal membrane, etc. Oft' 

 Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, in 80 fathoms. (Goode & Bean.) ("Named 

 for Mr. Richard Rathbun, chief of the Division of Scientific Inquiry in 

 the United States Fish Commission, in recognition of his important con- 

 tributions to marine zoology.") 



Pontinus rathbuni, Goode & BEAN, Oceanic Ichthyology, 255, fig. 245, 1896, off Cape Hat- 

 teras, N. lat. 35° 39', W. long. 74° 52', in 80 fathoms. Albatross Station 2298. (Type, 

 No. 39325.) 



22.52. POXTIMS LOXGISPINIS, Goode &. Bean. 



Head al)Out 2i; depth Sf; least depth of caudal j^eduncle 4 in head. 

 D. XII, 10; A. Ill, 5; P. 16; rows of scales 7-49-13; pores of lateral line 

 25. Greatest width of head about 2 in its length ; interorbital space 7 in 

 head, 2 in eye. Eye 3^ in head, equal to snout. Maxilla reaching middle 

 of eye, 2^ in head. Mandible extending a little farther back, about 2 in 

 head. Teeth in jaws in villiform bands ; a slight interspace at symphysis, 

 separating the 2 enlarged, club-shaped ends of the intemiaxillaries; 

 vomerine teeth in a very narrow triangular band; jialatine bands very 

 narrow. Nasal, preocular, supraocular, postocular, tympanic, parietal, 

 and nuchal spines present ; the sujira and post ocular and tympanic small ; 

 a postorbital spine behind orbit, 2 on shoulder; a pair of spines on front 

 of preorbital, 3 on suborbital ridge, 4 on preopercle, of which the one at 

 the middle of the border is the largest ; 2 on opercle. Gill rakers stout, 

 rather short, 12 developed on anterior arch, 9 of them on anterior limb, 

 besides the rudiments. Pseudobranchire well developed. No filaments 

 about head. Cheeks, opercles, nape, and top of snout scaly; sides of 

 snout and maxillaries naked. Anterior nostril tubular, distance from eye 

 i of diameter of eye. Origin of spinous dorsal a little in front of base of 

 pectoral, distance from tip of snout twice length of maxilla; first spine 

 about 1^ in second, second about 2 in third, third 2 in head, the eleventh 

 about 1^ in twelfth, longest ray 2| in head ; caudal very slightly emargi- 

 nate, middle rays about 4 in body length; origin of anal under first ray 

 of soft dorsal, its base about 3 in head, second spine longest, the first 3^ 

 in second, 2| in third; longest ray a little shorter than longest spine; 

 pectoral reaching beyond vent, almost to end of spinous dorsal, its origin 



