2138 BtiUctin //, United States National Museum. 



head; like tlie anal, it is continuous with the A'ery narrow caudal iin, 

 there being no notch or evident separation between them; distance from 

 tip of snout to front of anal Ij in distance of latter from base of caudal; 

 dorsal with about 45 rays; caudal with a very narrow base, containing, 

 apparently, 14 rays, its length equaling that of snout and eye. Color light 

 brownish, everywhere dusted with minute black specks, which are largest 

 on back and tail; lining of mouth and gill cavity aud peritoneum white. 

 Eggs large, visible through the abdominal wall, about 3^ mm. in diameter. 

 Length 3 inches. Bering Sea, north of Unalaska Island, in 350 fathoms; 

 only the type known. (//zKpos, reduced; rp?/w a, aperture.) 



<?i/mwcA<%s mi»2/«remws, Gilbert, Kept. U. S. Comm. 1893 (1896), 444, Bering Sea, north 

 of Unalaska Island, at Albatross Station 3331, in 350 fathoms. (Type, No. 48617.) 



789. AMITRA, fioode. 



Amitra, Goode, Proc. IT. S. Nat. Mus. 1880, 478 (liparina). 



Monomitra, Goode, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1883, 109 (liparina) ; name changed on account of 

 the prior use of the name Amitrus. 



Body elongate, attenuate backward, covered with lax, smooth, slimy 

 skin, which is separated from the body and fins by a tilmy mucous inter- 

 tissue. Head small, thick, convex between eyes; snout convex, protrud- 

 ing; mouth small, horizontal, the lower jaw included; teeth small; eyes 

 lateral ; gill openings restricted to small slits above the base of the pecto- 

 rals, covered by the very small opercle; pseudobranchia3 present, very 

 small, no barbels; dorsal and anal fins many-rayed; dorsal continuous, 

 almost concealed by the sldu, the spines scarcely different from the soft 

 rays; anal similar to dorsal; both connected with the caudal, which is 

 pointed ; no trace of ventral fins or sucking disk; pectoral fin very broad, 

 procurrent, its lower rays inserted nearly under the eye, the fin emargi- 

 nate; vent well behind head. This genus is of very doubtful value, the 

 presence of pseudobranchiie alone separating it from Paraliparis.* (d, 

 without; jiiirpa, stomacher.) 



2471. AMITRl LIPAKINA, Goode. 



D. 67; A. 54; pectoral 23; caudal 6. Body elongate, compressed pos 

 teriorly, very thin at the tail, covered by a thick, lax, slimy skin. 

 Head small, thick, convex between the eyes, length 4^ times in width, -^0 



*The following words of Professor Putuam, written before tlit discovery of Paychro- 

 hues and Liparididce without ventral disk, are of interest in this connection : "I should 

 put the family of G'biesocidm far away, at It-ast a suborder otf, from the Cyclopteridce and 

 Liparididce, which are far more tloselV iiiiitt'<l to tlie true Cottidtv, rHiire.-^eijted by Cotti s 

 and Hcmitripterus, than to either the (;i,l,ir>;,,niht' jirojier or to the Gobirs and Blennies. 

 In fact, 7>!>aj-)'.9 has lis close affinities, as shown by its skoJetou, with Coitus and Hemi- 

 trijitenif: a^ ^Yith Vt/cloplerux; aud we have in the three groups, represented l)y Coitus, 

 Lipiiiii:. ami Ci/rlopterus, well-marked families of thu same suborder. The only character 

 by whii h thi> < 'iidopteridce and Liparididce are closely united consists in the peculiar form- 

 ation (if thi- vintral disk by the union of the ventral fins; but as this structure is simply 

 brought about by the niddification of the rays in a njanner common to the several genera, 

 and not by any I'narkcd anatdiniral ditl'irence in the stiueture of the same tins in Cottvs, 

 I can only look upon it as a iicneiic character cimnnon to the known representatives of 

 both families of Cijclnjitn Id"' and LipuridUhc: and tlie discovery of a representative of 

 either family with ventral tins of the ordinary form would not necessitate the establish- 

 ment of a family for its reception, as in th.at ca.se we should simply consider the structure 

 as of generic value." (Putnam, Proc. Am. Ass. Adv. Sci. 1873, 337.) 



