STARGAZER FISHES — BERRY AND ANDERSON 573 



caudal base onto fleshy part of caudal fin, then bending anteroventrally 

 to unite at bottom of caudal base. 



Color: Body and head generally dark above and light below; tip 

 of lower jaw and upper part of head and body to end of dorsal base 

 with large, irregular, widely spaced white spots having narrow dark 

 margins (these spots not formed on specimens less than about 47 mm. 

 standard length); a dark stripe extending along middle of caudal 

 peduncle; a large elongated black blotch on each side of chin. Spinous 

 dorsal fin black. Soft dorsal fin with from one to three oblique black 

 bars (one bar present between about 50 and 70 mm. standard length, 

 two bars between about 55 and 130 mm., three bars above about 

 120 mm.). Anal fin with an elongated black stripe extending across 

 most of the softrays (formed between about 53 and 60 mm. standard 

 length). Pectoral fins dusky over most of fin, tending to become black- 

 near tip, with a narrow light margin (pigment becoming pronounced 

 at about 50 mm. standard length). Pelvics with an elongated dusky 

 or blackish spot near the distal end of the inner rays (forming at about 

 110 mm. standard length). Caudal fin with one or three black stripes 

 (one stripe formed at about 40 mm. standard length, three stripes 

 formed at about 55 mm.). 



Size: Largest specimen examined, 323 mm. S.L. (440 mm. or 17.5 

 inches total length). Smallest specimen examined, 12 mm. S.L. 



Range: From Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, southward along 

 the United States Atlantic and Gulf coasts and the coast of Central 

 and South America to Santos, Brazil. From recorded specimens this 

 species appears to be an inshore, relatively shallow water inhabitant. 

 Springer and Bullis (1956, p. 96) recorded the species from one Oregon 

 station at 38 fathoms from off Alabama— apparently the greatest 

 depth to be recorded. 



Astroscopes guttatus AI>l>ott 



Plates 1b,d,f; 2c 



Astroscopus guttatus Abbott, 1861, p. 365, pi. 7 (type locality Cape Ma3% New 

 Jersey, Beesley's Point ?) ; type specimen in Academy of Natural Sciences 

 of Philadelphia, No. 22722, about 118 mm. S.L; not Uranoscopus guttatus 

 Cuvier 1S29, a Uranoscopus described from the coast of Pondicherry, India). — 

 Gill, 186! ! >. p. 43 (reference after Abbott 1861). — Jordan and Evermann, 

 1898, p. 2307 (key), p. 2310 (description; distinguished from Astroscopus y- 

 graecum ).— Shufeldt, 1901, pi. vn (photograph).— Fowler, 1906, p. 399 (key), 

 p. 401 (redescription of type specimen from Cape May, 6.5 inches in length). — 

 Evermann and Hildebrand, 1910, p. 163 (Gloucester Point, Va.). — Fowler, 

 1916, p. 42 (Sandy Hook, N.J.).— White, 1918, p. 141 (development of 

 electric organs; not distinguished from A. y-graecum). — Fowler, 1925, p. 45 

 (Young's Pier, Atlantic City, N.J.); 1926, p. 150 (Longport, N.J.).— Dahlgren, 

 1927, p. 364, figs. 2, 4-5 (in part; life history notes, possibly referable to this 

 species; ex 'uding figs. 1 and 3 which are A. y-graecum) . — Nichols and Breder, 



