REVISIOK OF PORICHTHYS— HUBBS AND SCHULTZ 479 



Porichthys porosissimus (misidentiflcations) Jordan and Gilbert, 1880, p. 25 

 (San Diego; in part).— Bean, 1880, p. 83 (records; in part).— JordIn and 

 GiLiERT, 1881a, p. 454, and 1881b, p. 65 (records; in part) ; lS83a, pp. 751-752 

 (description; in part). 



Porichthys margaritatus (misidentifications) Jordan and Gilbert, 1882b, p. 291, 

 and lS83a, p. 958 (in part) ; Jordan, 1884b, p. 41 (range and synonymy; in 

 part) ; 1885b, p. 116 (in part).— Meek and Hall, 1885, p. 56 (synonymy'; in 

 part).— EiGENMANN, 1892, p. 171 (in part). 



As indicated in the key, this heretofore unrecognized species differs 

 from P. notatus (and from all other species here retained in Porich- 

 thys) in the U-shaped forward-directed commissure of the branchi- 

 ostegal rows of photophores (compare fig. 57, h and c) ; in the larger, 

 more needlelike palatine teeth; typically in the more conspicuous 

 dorsal saddles and more blotched dorsal fin (these juvenile traits 

 tend to disappear with age but are more persistent in wyriaster than 

 in notatus) ; and in the definitely dark-margined anal fin (the young 

 have the fin clear). The distinctness of myriaster from notatus is 

 proved by the higher number of anal rays, for there is little overlap 

 in the counts (table 1). The corresponding difference in number of 

 dorsal soft rays (table 3) is not quite so sharp. 



Porichthys inyriaster also shows a habitat distinction from P. 

 notatus^ although its entire range is overlapped by that of notatus. 

 Along the coasts of southern California and Lower California myri- 

 aster is the characteristic form of the muddy and sandy bays, and 

 along the open shore it tends to live in shallower water than notatus. 

 The difference in bathymetric range is partly obscured by the tendency 

 of the young of notatus to mingle with myriaster in rather shallow 

 water (to 25 fathoms). The only specimen of myriaster known from 

 water deeper than 25 fathoms is one adult taken at 69 fathoms. 



P. myriaster apparently does not share with P. notatus the habit 

 which that form exhibits (in the cooler portion of its range) of mi- 

 grating into the intertidal zone of the rocky reefs for spawning 

 (Hubbs, 1920). The very few records of Porichthys approaching or 

 entering this zone in southern California probably refer to P. notatus. 

 P. myriaster is apparently more of a bay and less of a reef inhabitant. 



The holotype of Porichthys myriaster (U.S.N.M. no. 8483) is 

 an adult 306 mm in standard length and 347 mm in total length, col- 

 lected by Cassidy at San Diego. It is apparently not the specimen 

 (U.S.N.M. no. 694) recorded as Porichthys notatus by Girard 

 (1858) as taken by Cassidy at San Diego, for that fish was also found. 



Description of holotype.— DovsaX, 11-36 ; anal, 33 ; pectorals 20-20 ; 

 pelvics I, 2. Gill rakers on lower part of first arch 17. Palatine 

 teeth caninelike, curved backward, 9 in the single series on each side ; 

 vomerine canines 1 or 2 at each outer angle of bone, very strong, 

 curved backward; premaxillary teeth conical, strong, uniserial ; 



