DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF SCULPIN FROM 



JAPAN. 



By David Starr Jordan and Edwin Chapin Starks, 



Of the Lelnnd Stanford Junior University. 



In the present paper is given a description of a new species of 

 Sculpin belonging- to the genus Cottunculuf>\ dredged by the U, S. 

 Fish Commission steamer Atbati'oss in Japan. 



COTTUNCULUS BREPHOCEPHALUS Jordan and Starks, new species. 



Head 2i in length without caudal; depth 3i. Dorsal Vl-IH; anal 

 12. E3"e 4i in head; maxillary 2^. 



Head considerably wider than deep, Hat on top; the nape somewhat 

 produced, the rostral region evenly rounded; jaws equal or the lower 

 very slightly included; maxillary reaching to below middle of ej^e; 

 rather sharp villiform teeth in moderate bands on jaws and vomer; 

 the bands of equal width on premaxillaries and mandible, wider in 

 front than at sides; vomerine patches small, narrower than those on 

 jaws, and having a Avider interval between than that between pre- 

 maxillaiy bands. Intcrorbital space wide and tiat; between iris 2^ 

 in head, the bone only half as wide. Nostrils ending in short tubes, 

 the anterior separated from the posterior a distance equal to half the 

 length of eye. Head without spines; a pair of very slight tubercles 

 may be felt between ej^es and one on upper part of preopercle, but 

 the occipital, the suborbital, the preopercle, and the other spines as 

 possessed by Cottunculus inicrops and (J. fJiomjmml are entirely 

 absent. 



Origin of dorsal directly above upper end of gill-opening, the 

 length of the fourth spine li in head, the rays toward the posterior 

 end the longest, 2^ in head, the tips of the last rays, when tin is 

 depressed, reach to the rudimentary caudal rays, or slightly beyond 

 the tips of anal rays. Origin of anal midway between tip of lower jaw 

 and anterior third of caudal rays, its posterior or longest rays a little 

 shorter than those of dorsal. Pectoral reaching to above base of fourth 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXVI— No. 1 326. 



689 



