Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North America. 91 



136. RHINOPTEBA STEINDACHNERI, Evermann A Jenkins. 

 (Gabilan.) 



Width of disk 1| times its lengtii; anterior border nearly straight; tail 

 very slender, H to \\ times length of disk; muzzle emarginate; cephalic 

 fin a little broader than head; tail with 1 or 2 serrated spines, their 

 length 2\ times eye. Skin everywhere smooth. Teeth in lower jaw in 

 7 series, 7 in the median series, 6 in each of the others. Median teeth 

 hexagonal, their length Sfin the breadth, which isnearly twice the breadth 

 of a tooth in the second series; this is again nearly twice as wide as 

 teeth in third series; upper teeth very similar to lower. Uniform dark 

 brown above, paler below. Gulf of California. (Named for Dr. Franz 

 Steindachner, director of the Museum at Vienna, one of the most accurate 

 and conscientious workers in ichthyology.) 



Rhinoptem sleimlachueri, Evermann & Jenkins, Proc. V. S. Nat. Mus., 1891, 130, pl.l.fig. 1, 

 Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico. (Type, No. 43235.) 



Subgenus MICROMESUS, Gill. 



137. RHIXOPTEBA ENSENAD;E, Rosa Smith. 



Teeth of lowei jaw in 14 or 15 series, all small, unequal in size, the 

 broadest being those of the sixth series from the left side, which are twice 

 as broad as long. Known only from a lower jaw picked up on the beach 

 at Ensenada, on Todos Santos Bay, in Lower California. (Smith.) 



Rhinoplera eunemidse, Rosa Smith (Mrs. 0. H. Eioenmann), Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1886, 220, 

 Ensenada, Lower California. (Type, No. 379(30.) 



Family XXVIll. MANTID^. 



(The Sea Devils.) 



Rays of enormous size, with the disk broader than long and the pectoral 

 fins not continued on the sides of the head, the anterior or cephalic 

 portion being separate, developed as 2 long horn-like or ear-like appen- 

 dages. Mouth wide, terminal or inferior. Teeth very small. Hat or tuber- 

 cular, in many series, those of the upper jaw sometimes wanting. Eyes 

 lateral. Nostrils widely separated, their valves united, forming a flap as 

 wide as the cleft of the month. Tail long and slender, whip-like, with a 

 single dorsal fin at its base, and with or without a serrated spine. Ven- 

 tral fins not emarginate. Skin more or less rough. Males without differen- 

 tiated spines on the pectorals, the sexes similar. Ovoviviparous Genera 

 2; species about 7. Largest of all rays and among the largest of all fishes ; 

 found in the tropical seas. (Myliobatid^e, group Ceratopterina, 

 Gunther, Cat., viii. 496-498.) 



a. Teeth in both jaws; mouth inferior. AonoN, .58. 



aa. Teeth in lower jaw only; mouth terminal. Manta, 59. 



58. AODON, Lacepede. 



Aoihn, Lac£p£dE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., i, 300, 1798, {massossd, French name only). 

 Aodoii, Rafinesquk, Indice, 46, 1810. 



Moliiila, RafinesQUE, Indice d'lttiol. SIcil., 61, 1810, {nuricitlatii ~ eilenlula). 

 Aptenirns, Rafinesque, I.e., 62, (fabroni = edeululus). 



