142 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL UUSEUM. 



vol. 38. 



57. CHASMODES SABURR^E Jordan and Gilbert. 



Represented by nine specimens. The males show t lie modification 

 of the two anterior ana] spines mentioned by Jordan and Evermann. 



58. CHASMODES BOSQUIANUS (Lacepede). 



This species is represented by one specimen. 



Family (KKI)ALI I )M. 



LEPTOCERDALE, new genus. 



Body extremely elongate, with small non-imbricate rudimentary 

 scales; head small; snout short and obtuse; lower jaw obtuse, much 

 projecting; mouth markedly oblique; teeth minute, found only in 

 jaws; eye \c\y small: gill slit moderately narrow, more nearly ver- 

 tical than horizontal; vertical fins joined to caudal; pectorals mod- 

 erate; vcntrals small, of one minute spine and three rays; vent 

 normal, a trifle anterior to the middle of the body. 



FlG. I.— LEPTOCERDALE LONGIPINNIS. 



This genus is separated from Cerdalt and Microdesmus, the other 

 genera of the Cerdalidae, chiefly by its much more elongate form and 

 the larger size of the gill slits. In Cerdalt (<'. ionthas) the gill slit is 

 shorter than the base of the pectoral and runs very nearly horizon- 

 tally forward from the lower edge of the base of the pectoral; in 



Microdesmus ( M. retropinnis) the <iill slit is about as long as the base 

 of the pectoral and runs obliquely forward and downward from the 

 middle of the pectoral base, while in the present genus the gill slit is 

 wider than the base of the pectoral and runs from near its upper edge 

 downward and slightly forward. The depth in Cerddle is 10 , : and in 



Microdesmus 1.V-: (.1/. retropinnis) and 18 (.1/. dipus) while in the 

 presenl genus is much more slender than either, the depth varying 

 from - I to 33. 



T;i/>i ofthi genus. Leptocerdalt longipinnis. 



59. LEPTOCERDALE LONGIPINNIS, new species. 



1 lead 15 in body length (tip of snout t<> base of caudal), depth 30 

 in length, 1). 68, A. 42, P. I 1, V. I, 3. 



Body greatly tlongate, compressed, and tapering but slightly. 

 Vertebras (determined from one of the cotypes) 62 and the hypural 



