Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of JVort/i America. 379 



opercular region, the pores distant and well separated. Color brown 

 above, lighter below, front of head more or lees mottled ; dorsal and anal 

 fins pale, without dark margins. West coast of Florida ; not rare. 

 (sctitica, a whip.) 



Spharjebranchus sctUicarit, GooDE & Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1879, 343, Cedar Key. (Typo, 



No. 23636. Coll. Dr. J. H. Velie.) 

 Bphagnbranclms teres, Gooi>E & Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1882, 430, West Florida. (Type, 



No. 31457. Coll. Kaiser & Martin.) 

 Coecula scuticaris, Jordan & GitBERT, Synopsis, 3.58, 1883. 

 Cofcula iei-fi, Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 897, 1883. 

 BitscauwhUii/s scutkaris, Jordan & Davis, I. c, 021. 



621. BASCANICHTHYS PENINSIIL.E (Gilbert). 



Head small, 3f in trunk (without head) ; eye 12 in head; snout 5^ in 

 head, projecting beyond lower jaw for a distance equaling diameter of 

 eye. Cleft of mouth extending beyond eye, its length (from tip of snout) 

 3i in head. Anterior nostril in a long tube (near tip of snout), the pos- 

 terior on inner side of upper lip opposite front of eye. Teeth in double 

 series on all the dentary bones ; those on maxillary, shaft of vomer, and 

 sides of mandible small, bluntly conic ; those on head of vomer and front 

 of mandible much broader though little longer, and also very blunt. Eye 

 very small, slightly less than half snout. Gill openings short, vertical, 

 the length of the slit but one-half of the broad isthmus. Vent much in 

 advance of middle of length, the trunk contained l-,^; times in the tail. 

 Dorsal fin beginning well forward on top of head, its origin equidistant 

 between gill slit and front of eye. Tip of tail sharp, free from fins for a 

 distance equaling length of snout. Pectoral developed as a short, deep, 

 membranous flap as wide as gill slit ; its length less than half its width. 

 Delicate rays are visible with the aid of a lens. Color light yellowish, a 

 series of large, round, brownish black spots nearly as wide as interspaces 

 between lateral line and base of dorsal ; a second series of similar but 

 much fainter spots alternating with the first below the lateral line ; top 

 and sides of head with similar smaller spots, those on snout the smallest. 

 Lower jaw with dusky mottlings ; anal translucent, unmarked. Dorsal 

 with a dusky streak. One specimen 10| inches long, from La Paz Bay, 

 Gulf of California. {Peninsula', of the Peninsula.) 



Callechehjs peninsvhr, Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1891, 548, La Paz Bay. (Coll. Gilbert.) 

 622. BASC.4NICHTHTS BASCANIUM (Jordan). 



Dark brown, nearly uniform; fins a little paler. Body extremely 

 slender, subterete, its greatest depth little more than two-fifths length 

 of head; head short; snout 7 in head; mouth very small, the lower jaw 

 thin, included, not extending to the anterior nostril, which is in a short 

 tube ; teeth short, subconic, bluntish, a little unequal, their points directed 

 backwards; lower teeth nearly uniserial ; upper teeth uniserial laterally, 

 partly biserial anteriorly ; vomerine teeth forming a rhombic patch. Ej-e 

 moderate, its length more than half that of snout, its center nearly over 

 middle of upper jaw ; cleft of mouth 31 in length of head. Gill opening 

 vertical, about as wide as isthmus ; its upper edge on level of upper base 



