470 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxv. 



and hlack; dorsal edged with dull crimson; pectoral and lower half of 

 anal scarlet; caudal dull orange. 



Northern Japan; abundant in all the bays of Hondo and Hokkaido. 

 Our numerous specimens are from Hakodate, Aomori, Otaru, Matsua- 

 hima, Tokyo, Misaki, and Onomichi. 



{nehulam^ clouded.) 



11. PHOLIS (Gronow) Scopoli. 



Pholvi Gronow, Zoophylaceum, 1765, p. 78 (not binomial). 

 PJiolis Scopoli, Introd. Hist. Nat., 1777, p. 456 {gunnellus). 

 Muramoides Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., II, 1800, p. 324 {sujef). 

 Centronotus Bloch and Schneidek, Syst. Ichth., 1801, p. 165 (fasciatus). 

 Dactijleptus Rafinesqce, Anal, de la Nature, 1815, p. 82; substitute for Mursenoides. 

 Ceutrouotus Civiee, Regne Animal, 2d ed., II, 1829, p. 239 {gunnellus). 

 OphisDums SwAiNsoN, Nat. Hist. Class'n Anim., II, 1839, p. 277 {gunnellus). 

 Uroceidrns Kner, Sitzber. k. Akad. Wissen. ^yien, LVIII, 1868, p. 51 {pictii.s). 

 Rhodipitenicliilii/s Jordan and Ea'eemann, Check-List Fishes, 1896, p. 474 {ruber- 

 rhnus=doUchogaster) . 



Bod}^ long and low, considerably compressed, somewhat band- 

 shaped, the tail slowl}^ tapering; head small, compressed, naked; 

 mouth rather small, oblique; jaws with rather small teeth in 

 narrow bands or single series; vomer and palatines usually toothless; 

 gill-membranes broadly united, free from the isthmus; scales very 

 small, smooth; no lateral line; dorsal fin long and low, beginning near 

 the head, composed entirely of stiff, sharp, subequal spines; anal sim- 

 ilar in form, of 2 spines and many soft rays; caudal fin short and 

 small, more or less joined to dorsal and anal; pectorals rather shorter 

 than head; ventrals ver}' small, of 1 spine and a rudimentary ray; 

 intestinal canal short, without caeca. 



Shore fishes of the Northern seas. {(f)GoXig^ name of some fish said 

 to shelter itself wheu lying in wait by producing a cloud of mucus; 

 (jxjjXds^ one who lies in wait.) 



a. Vrocentrus: Pectoral fin small, 3J to 4 times in length of head; dorsal spines 

 about 93; anal rays, 48; body with 2 rows of dark blotches; fins nearly 



plain jiicius, 18. 



aa. Pectoral fin moderate, 2 to 2i times in length of head. 



b. Rhodymenichlhys: Dorsal and anal joined to the caudal to the full height of the 

 spines, without constriction at base of caudal; body greatly compressed, 

 ribbon-like. 

 c. Dorsal spines about 93; anal about 47; pectoral short, 2§ in head, color red; 



no ocelli along base of dorsal dolichogaster, 19. 



cc. Dorsal spines 82; anal II, 45; pectoral 3 in head. Color, grayish, a yellow 



streak from eye to axis iaczanoivskii, 20. 



bb. Pholis: Dorsal and anal slightly connected with caudal, leaving a constriction 

 of outline at base of caudal; body less compressed; dorsal fin with dark 

 blotches or ocelli. 

 c. Pectoral well developed, about one-half length of head. Dorsal spines about 

 88; anal rays about 42; pectoral 2^ in head; dorsal fin with dark quad- 

 rate blotches rather than ocelli; sides scarlet in adult, bounded with 

 black .fasciatus, 21. 



