454 prnrEEDTXnS of the national MUfiEUM. VOL. xxv. 



Head 5 in length; depth 5^; depth of caudal peduncle 2i in head; 

 eye 3|; .snout i; interorbital space 8; D. XII, 22; A. I, 24; P. 13. 



Body moderately elongate, compressed; the caudal peduncle deep; 

 head as deep as bod}^; snout short, blunt; anterior profile steep, 

 rounded above eye; jaws subequal, the lower slightly shorter than the 

 upper; mouth horizontal, the cleft extending to a vertical through 

 anterior edge of pupil; jaws with a series of long, slender, close-set 

 teeth followed on each side hj a single canine, which is separated from 

 the others by a small space; canines of lower jaw much longer than 

 those of upper; no teeth on vomer and palatines; teeth in each jaw 

 numbering 18 besides canines; gill-opening restricted to a small space 

 above base of pectoral; gillrakers on first arch reduced to 8 or 10 min- 

 ute protuberances; no barbels on head. Head and body naked; no 

 lateral line. Dorsals continuous; no notch between spinous and soft 

 parts, inserted on nape anterior to a vertical through gill-opening, the 

 last ray united l)y a meml)rane to l)ase of caudal, the membrane 

 slightly notched between the rays, spines somewhat higher than the 



lsi?^v--v'/v-';.';- 



Fkj. 6.— Aspidontus elegans. 



rays, about 5^ in the length of body; anal inserted below base of twelfth 

 dorsal spine; last ray united by membrane to caudal peduncle; the 

 membrane deeply notched between the ra3%s; the posterior or longest 

 rays contained about 9 times in the length; caudal rounded, the mem- 

 brane slightly scalloped between the rays; pectoral rounded, slightly 

 longer than the caudal, 5i- in the length, the ra3^s all simple; ventrals 

 H i» head. 



Color in spirits, dull yellowish-olive, covered throughout with min- 

 ute, round, black spots and specks, the anterior parts with vertical 

 blackish bars, broad above, growing narrower and pointed below, the 

 bars more distinct in the region of the pectoral, l)ecoming narrower 

 and shorter posteriorly and disappearing near middle of body. In 

 ditferent individuals the bars vary somewhat in shape and size, there 

 always being one at insertion of dorsal, each space between the bars 

 beneath the pectoral usually with a narrow dead white stripe; head 

 with dark vertical bars, usually one on anterior part of snout, one 

 passing through eye, another extending downward from lower margin 

 of eye, and a fourth and broader bar posterior to the eye; spots of 



