^ NO. 1293, JAPANESE BLENNOID FISHES— JORDAN AND SNYDER. 455 



throat Glong-ate, in some places forming- reticulations, the interspaces 

 dead white; base of pectoral dead white with jet black spots or reticu- 

 lations, in some cases yellowish-olive with black specks like posterior 

 part of body; the 3 or 4 dark Ijars encroaching- on anterior part of 

 base of spinous dorsal, above which are a few indistinct, dusky, 

 oblique bars; posterior part of dorsal with a few minute spots near 

 the margin; anal with a narrow edge of white anteriorih', above 

 which is a dusky band; a row of l)lack points along anterior basal 

 part of fin; other tins somewhat dusk v. In life the vertical l)ands of 

 body are a dark wine color, l)ecoming greenish brown posteriori}^, 

 the spaces between with narrow greenish- white bands; base of pec- 

 toral and branchiostegal region with bluish-white reticulations; throat 

 wine color; base of dorsal with a row of pearly spots, which show very 

 indistinctly on the preserved specimen; posterior part of dorsal with 

 a vinaceous edging-; anal with 3 rows of small pearl}^ spots, the pos- 

 terior rays tipped with wine color. 



This species is found about the rocky headlands of southern Japan. 

 Our luimerous specimens are from Misaki, Enoshima, Wakanoura, and 

 Hakodate. It is one of the most prettily colored of little lishes. 



{elefians^ elegant.) 



7. ASPIDONTUS TROSSULUS Jordan and Snyder, new species. 



ff Petroscirtes Jxinkieri Richardson, Voy. Sulphur, Fishes, 1846, p. 130, pi. lxiv, 

 figs. 8, 9; Hongkong. 



Head -i^ in length; depth 41; depth of caudal peduncle 2f in head; 

 eye 3t; interorbital space 3i; snout 3i; D. X. 21; A. I. 19; P. 13. 



Body rather stout, compressed, the caudle peduncle deep; head 

 larg-e, broad, interorbital space wide and flat; eyes rather large, 

 directed laterally; snout blunt; lower jaw a little shorter than the 

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

 center of pupil ; jaws with a row of long, slender, close-set teeth, fol- 

 lowed on each side by a canine separated from the others by a small 

 space; canines of lower jaw very large and strong, fitting into a large 

 pit in the upper jaw, a flap formed by an elongate upward extension 

 from the lip at base of tooth; canine of upper jaw small, scarcely pro- 

 jecting beyond edge of middle teeth; vomer and palatines without 

 teeth; teeth in each jaw numbering 28; tongue very short, ending far 

 back in mouth; valve of roof of mouth located posteriorly; gill-open- 

 ing restricted to a small slit above base of pectoral. Head and body 

 naked, a pair of small, flat barbels on chin; a minute, slender barbel on 

 upper part of e3'e; lateral line incomplete, extending near base of 

 dorsal from above gill-opening to a point over tip of pectoral. Spinous 

 dorsal continuous with the soft part, no notch between them, the mem- 

 l)raiie slightly incised l)etwoen the rays; spines slender, flcxilde, the 

 longest contained If times in head, longest rays 2^; membrane of anal 



