DESCRIPTION OF SIX NEW SPECIES OF FISHES FROM THE GULP 

 OF MEXICO, WITH NOTES ON OTHER SPECIES. 



By DAVID M. JOKDAIV and BARTOIV ^V. E VERITIAIVIV. 



In the months of March and April, 1886, the writers, accompanied 

 by a party of students from the University of Indiana visited Pensacola, 

 Fla., for the purpose of making collections of fishes. Through the kind- 

 ness of Mr. Silas Stearns, Mr. Evermaun and Mr. Charles H. Bollman 

 were enabled to accompany the fishiug boats to the "Snapper Banks" 

 between Pensacola and Tampa Bay. From the "spewings" of the 

 Snappers and especially from those of the Red Grouper {Epinephelus 

 morio) a considerable number of species were obtained, some of which 

 have not been included in any of the numerous similar collections 

 heretofore made by Mr. Stearns and Dr. Jordan. 



Six species in this collection appear to be new to science. The types 

 of all these are in the United States National Museum. 



1. Callechelys mureena, sp. nov. (No. 37996, U. S. N. M.)- 



Head, 7 times in trunk, 13 times in total length, the head being 

 almost exactly one inch (™. .024) long, the trunk 7 (™. 175) and the tail 

 5 (™. 127), the whole specimen being 13 inches long, the tail proportion- 

 ally shorter than usual in this group. 



Body stouter and more compressed than in other species of this 

 group, its depth at the gill-opening a little more than the length of the 

 upper jaw, which is 3 in head. Mouth larger than in related species, 

 but of the same general form, the lower jaw shorter and narrower than 

 the upi)er. Eye small, not half as long as snout, })laced over the middle 

 of the upper jaw. Nostrils labial, the anterior in a short tube, the j)os- 

 terior without tube, and placed just before front of eye. Tip of lower 

 jaw extending a little before front of eye. 



Teeth small, all uniserial or nearly so, all of them more or less bluntly 

 conical. Those in front of upper jaw larger than the others, those on 

 front of lower jaw and on vomer also enlarged, those on maxillary 

 small and nearly uniform. All the larger teeth directed more or less 

 backwards. 



Gill-openings rather small, somewhat oblique, the distance between 

 them about half the height of one of them, which is a little more than 

 the cleft of the mouth. Dorsal fin rather high, beginning on the head 

 at a distance behind angle of mouth a little more than half the length 

 of upper jaw. Anal, well developed, but lower than the corresponding 

 parts of the dorsal. Tail projecting behind dorsal and anal. No trace 

 of pectoral fins. 



Color dark olive, closely mottled and spotted with confluent blotches 

 of dark olive and blackish, the spots most distinct anteriorly, poste- 

 466 



