i030 Bulletin ^y, United States Natmial Museum. 



758. RHAMPHOCOTTUS, Giinther. 



Uhamphncottus. Giinther, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., xiv, 1874, 370 (richardsoni) . 

 Cbaracters of the genus included above. {pdjii<l)0(;, snout; Coitus.) 



2307. RILUlPHOtOTTlS KI( IIARDSOM, (iiintber. 



Head 2; depth 2. D. VII, 13; A. 6; P. 14; orbit 6 in head; maxillary 

 4; snout 3; highest dorsal spiue 61; dorsal raj" 4; anal ray 4; pectoral 2,'; ; 

 ventral 2; caudal 3; vertebra' 10 + 14 = 24. Body short, compressed, the 

 back elevated, its greatest depth jtist in front of spinous dorsal. Head 

 large, as long as rest of body; snout long and narrow; mouth U-shaped, 

 its gape longer than wide ; lips thick, their surface broken up into papilla' ; 

 maxillary reaching the nasal spine; lower Jaw included; teeth in villi- 

 form bands on jaws and vomer, none on palatines; eye placed high, its 

 diameter contained twice in the snout, 1^ in the interorbital; a branched 

 dermal flap, as long as pupil, at tip of snout; head with 2 large bony 

 ridges above, continuous with the orbital rim and ending in strong blunt 

 spines at occiput; head deeply concave between these ridges; nasal spine 

 sharp and recurved; a pair of strong spines over the eyes; a sharp spine 

 just above opercle, a blunt one on opercle beloAv Hap, and a long sharp one 

 at angle of preopercle, alow bony ridge leading to each of these spines; a 

 long sharp spine on clavicle just behind gill opening; a blunt bony knob 

 at posterior end of mandibles; gill openings extending upward from 

 upper pectoral ray, their length equal to snout. Entire head and body 

 covered -with multipointed spines, those on head much smaller than the 

 ones on sides, a few simple spines along cephalic ridges; the first dorsal 

 spine covered with spines, and each dorsal ray with a row on its side; a 

 few sjiines on the base of the pectoral and anal rays. Dorsal spines very 

 weak, fitting in a groove in back ; soft dorsal higher than spinous, the tips 

 of the rays reaching base of caudal fin; anal short, few-rayed, reaching 

 slightly beyond soft dorsal ; pectorals pointed, their lower r.ays entirely 

 free, reaching about to T)ase of third anal ray; veutrals reaching to ends 

 of pe(t(nal8, their origin l>ehind lower part of pectoral base a distance 

 equal to length of snout; caudal rounded behind. Body creamy yellow, 

 with conspicuous irregular dark stripes, edged with black, running 

 obli(|uely across the body; similar stripes radiating from eye in all 

 directions, 1 to end of snout, a triangul.ar 1 downward, 1 running 

 backward and downward to middle of preopercle, then turning upward 

 and running nearly to occipital spine, 2 or 3 short ones above, each of 

 these involving the membrane of eye ; 2 or 3 black-bordered dark spots 

 oil edge of ojiercle ; a light yellow streak surrounded by black across 

 caudal peduncle, behind which all is bright cherry red to the end of cau- 

 dal fin ; 2 similar spots on base of pectoral ; top of head crossed with wavy 

 black-edged dark liars; top of lower jaw black, a line of black spots ruu- 

 uiug along under parts of mandible; fins all bright red, each ray of dorsal 

 with a sharp black spot at its base, a few spots on dorsal spines; anal, 

 pectorals, and ventrals dark at base. Here described from a specimen 3 



