NO. 1303. JAPANESE OPHIDIOID FISHES— JORDAN AND FO WLER. 755 



General color when fresh reddish brown; abdomen paler; pectoral."^ 

 olivaceous; all the lins bordered with whitish; lips, barbels, and ven- 

 trals somewhat reddish ; iris grayish. Shimabara. (Schlegel.) 



This species is apparently rare in Japan; no specimens being- found 

 in our collections. It was described ])y Schleg-el from Shimabara, near 

 Nagasaki, by Doderlein from off Tokyo, and by Steindachner from 

 Kobe. 



{nndturt}^ many; l>nrhatv><, bearded.) 



8. MYXOCEPHALUS Steindachner and Doderlein. 



Myxocephalus Steindachner and Doderlein, Fische Japans, IV, 1887, j). 25. 

 {iaponicus). 



Body short, rather deep, greatly compressed, and ending in a point 

 behind; covered with moderate-sized, smooth, and elongate scales. 

 Head very large, broad, thick, rounded, without scales, covered with 

 soft loose skin beset with small, short, shred-like lilaments or papillte; 

 the bones with large mucous cavities opening by pores. Eye small, 

 mouth rather large; teeth villiform on vomer, palatines, and in jaws; 

 no barbels; preopercle unarmed; opercle with a spine. Gill-openings 

 very large and the mem])ranes narrowly free over the isthmus. Dorsal 

 and anal in a Inroad )>asal membrane in front. Ventrals close together 

 below opercles, each of a single ray. Lateral line arched till over 

 vent, then straight to the base of the caudal. No pyloric caeca. Pseu- 

 dobranchia^ rudimentary or absent. 



{fxvSo5, mullet; K£(f)aX?}, head.) 



8. MYXOCEPHALUS JAPONICUS Steindachner and Doderlein. 



ITACHI (MINK OK WEASEL). 



MyxocepJialm japonicas Steind.^ciiner and Doderlein, Fisclie Japans, IV, 1887, 

 p. 25; off Tokyo. 



Head 3f; depth about 4; D. 184; A. lOO; P. 31; V. I; greatest 

 depth of })ody 1^ in the head; breadth of head li; depth of head 

 about li; interorbital space, H; width of mouth, 2^; maxillary, 2i; 

 snout 5; eye 7; eye, li in snout, 3 in maxillary, 2i in interorbital 

 space; pectoral li in head; ventral, 2. 



Body greatly compressed, rather short and deep, the tail tapering 

 to a point. Head very large, broad, thick, and oblong; .snout very 

 blunt, obtuse, broad, and rounded above; eye small, lateral, its pos- 

 terior margin at the tirst third of the head; preorbital and infra- 

 or])itals broad; posterior nostrils large, directly in front of the eye; 

 anterior nostrils in a large tube near the tip of the snout; a large pore 

 exterior to the anterior nostrils on each side, another on each side of 

 the head above; gill-rakers large, thick, more or less variable and 

 about j^g; a slit after the fourth gill-arch. 



