18 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 82 



GOBIOSOMA LONGIPALA, new species 



Desc?'iption of type. — Scales on base of caudal fin have fallen out, 

 but three pockets plainly evident in the same positions occupied by 

 the scales in ginsburgi, the fourth pocket probably torn. Mental 

 frenum not bilobed, D. 7-12, A, 10. Head flattened on top and 

 markedly depressed, the strikingly depressed head probably parti}'- 

 due to being thrown out of shape by spasmodic movements of the 

 fish after capture or after being placed in preservative, but the species 

 apparently having an unusually depressed head as a normal condition. 

 Body moderately slender. Mouth rather large, somewhat oblique, 

 lower jaw included. End of maxillary nearly on a vertical through 

 posterior margin of eye. Anterior nostril in a short tubule, posterior 

 nostril with a raised rim. Barbule in front of eye reduced to a mere 

 pimple. Teeth in bands, outer row, especially that of upper jaw, 

 strongly enlarged. Origins of first dorsal and ventral nearly on same 

 vertical, which falls slightly behind base of pectoral. End of pectoral 

 about attaining a vertical through origin of anal. Middle rays of 

 ventral disk reaching fully to origin of anal. Origins of second dor- 

 sal and anal nearly on same vertical, tips of their posterior rays not 

 reaching base of caudal; end of anal base under base of tenth dorsal 

 ray. Dorsal spines moderately filamentous, tip of fifth spine reach- 

 ing back to base of third ray of second dorsal. Caudal not pointed, 

 rather short. 



Measurements. — Total length, 39. Standard length, 31. Depth 

 of body, 6.2 (20) ; depth of caudal peduncle, 4 (12.9) ; length of head, 

 10.3 (33.2); depth of head directly behind eye, about 5; maxillary, 

 5.4 (17.4); snout, 2.6 (8.4); eyeball, 2.3 (7.4); interorbital, between 

 soft margin, 1.3 (4.2); postorbital part of head, 7 (22.6); antedorsal 

 distance, 11.7 (37.8); ventral, 8 (25.8); caudal, 8.5 (27.4). 



Color. — Body, from base of pectoral, with nine brown crossbars 

 alternated with lighter bars of about same width. Lighter and 

 darker crossbars fairly well delimited on anterior part of body; both 

 rather uniformly pigmented ; their edges rather sinuous, not entirely 

 straight. A median series of small brown spots, each spot situated 

 on one of dark bars; the small spots sometimes double, two being 

 sometimes contiguous side by side. Vertical fins and ventral nearly 

 black; pectoral and caudal dusky. Head irregularly sprinkled with 

 brown dots; a couple of small spots in a row on its upper midline. 



Holotype.—V.S.'N.M. No. 86158. Male. Boca Grande, Fla.; 

 April 2, 1917; taken by steamer Grampus. 



Remarks. — The type is the only specimen known at present. This 

 species is close to Gohiosoma ginsburgi Hildebrand and Schroeder,*^ 

 differing chiefly in the longer ventral and the more depressed head. 



M Bull, U. S. Bur. Fish., vol. 43, pt. 1, p. 324, fig. 195, 1928. 



