ART. 21 A NEW CALIFORNIAlsr SURF-FISH — HUBBS 3 



cl Dorsal spines extremely robust and much shorter than the 

 dorsal rays ; margin of spinous fin rather evenly rounded. 

 Anterior interneurals very strong, with sharply expanded 

 lateral keels. Pectoral fin shorter and with upper mar- 

 gin strongly curved downward toward tip, so that the fin 

 is more nearly symmetrical than in any other emWotocid; 

 lower rays of pectoral more frayed and silky than in 

 any other genus. Fins mostly dusky (in preservative; 

 probably deep red in life). 

 d^ Lower jaw not very prominent; the teeth of the two 

 jaws opposed. Body deep (depth about half standard 

 length). Anal fin rather long, with 25 to 31 soft rays, 

 e*. Gill rakers moderate in length and number (14 to 17 

 below angle). Mouth only moderately oblique. 

 [Vertebrae not examined.] Dorsal contour much 

 more strongly curved than the ventral. Body not 

 very sharply compressed. 

 f. Eye moderate (about one- fourth length of head). 

 Anterior ventral edge blunt and but little curved. 

 Color : Body speckled, with trace of bars ; fins with- 

 out black markings Crossochir koelzi 



b*. Lower lip with the posterior groove interrupted by a broad 

 fi-enum. Mouth little oblique, not rising to opposite eyes 

 anteriorly. 

 (f. Dorsal spines, spinous dorsal, and Interneurals intermediate 

 between those of groups c* and c'. Pectoral fin as in c^. 

 Fins pale. 

 (i*. Lower jaw and teeth as in dl Body rather slenderer, 

 distinctly less than half as deep as long. Anal fin 

 averaging shorter, with about 25 soft rays, 

 e*. Gill rakers short and few, as in Holconotus. Mouth 

 verj^ weakly oblique. Vertebrae 29, of which only 

 10 support the anal base. Dorsal contour somewhat 

 more strongly curved than the ventral. Body rela- 

 tively thick. 

 f. Eye rather small. Anterior ventral edge blunt and 

 little curved. Color : Strongly though irregularly 

 barred ; fins without black markings Amphistichus argenteus 



CROSSOCHIR, new genus 



The characters of this genus are those given successively in items 

 a% 6% c^, d^, e^, /% of the preceding key. Its relationships appear 

 to be most intimate with Ilolconotus, though it is almost equally 

 close to Atnphistichus. From the latter it differs trenchantly in 

 lacking the frenum, and is further distinguished by the more oblique 

 mouth and deeper body, and usually by the longer anal fin. It 

 differs from Amphistichus weakly, and from Holconotus more deci- 

 sively, in the stronger and lower dorsal spines, more rounded spinous 

 dorsal, and stronger and more keeled interneurals. From both 

 Amphistichus and Holconotus, as well as other genera, it differs in 

 having the pectoral fin shorter, with more arched upper edge and 



