420 PROCEEDIXGS OF THE NATIONAL. MUSEUM vol.88 



SYNAGROPS PSEUDOMICROLEPIS, new species 



Holotype. — A male, 110 mm. in standard length, taken b}' tlie First 

 Johnson-Smithsonian Deep-sea Expedition, March 4, 1933, and bear- 

 ing tin tag number 599, station 100, latitude 18° 38' 45'' N., longitude 

 64° 52' 45" W., to latitude 18° 40' 15" N., longitude 64° 50' 15" W., 

 which is off the Virgin Islands. U.S.X.M. No. 107203. 



Description. — Body compressed, elongate, with large cycloid scales, 

 most of which have been lost ; lateral line continuous but not extend- 

 ing on caudal fin rays ; interorbital space nearly flat ; head with nu- 

 merous spongy cavities; premaxillaries protractile; lower jaw longer 

 than upper, slightly projecting; upper edge of maxillaries fitting 

 into a groove formed by the suborbital and preorbital bones, and 

 anteriorly the maxillaries are covered by the preorbitals; wide band 

 of villiform teeth on the premaxillaries, the very outer ones a little 

 enlarged at each side of the sj^mphysis of premaxillaries is a large 

 canine tooth, on right side a smaller tooth at base of large one, be- 

 tween this pair of large canines fits the symphyseal knob and a 

 smaller pair of canines on lower jaw; lower jaw with a narrow band 

 of sharp villiform teeth anteriorly, but at sides of jaw gradually be- 

 coming enlarged canines in one row numbering 8 or 9, those in mid- 

 side of jaw longest, and far apart ; the region of the lower jaw at each 

 side of the symphyseal canines is concave as in the genus Synagrops ; 

 teeth on vomer villiform in V-shaped patch, ending posteriorly in a 

 few slightly enlarged teeth; palatine teeth small, conical in one or two 

 irregular rows. Pelvics I, 5; dorsal rays IX, I, 10. a deep emargi- 

 nation in front of last spine and over niiitli spine; first dorsal spine 

 short, second about 2i/^ times length of first, third spine longest ; front 

 edge of no spine in any fin serrated : preoperculum with double edge, 

 the lower angle of the anterior edge with 5 or 6 short spines the 

 posterior edge at lower angle serrated as is lov\-er edge; at lower 

 angle of preoperculum, outer surface of posterior plate without the 

 small keels ; operculum with two weak spines ; suboperculum at lower 

 comer with edge bearing a few serrae ; interoperculum also with some 

 serrae; inside of gill chamber blackish; peritoneum jet black; anus 

 just in front of origin of anal fin; principal caudal rays 17; pseudo- 

 branchiae present and large; gill membranes extending far forward 

 free from isthmus; branchiostegals 7; first anal spine short, curved 

 posteriorly, second anal spine long, broad, grooved behind. 



Counts. — Dorsal rays IX, I, 10 ; anal rays II, 9 ; pectoral right 16^ 

 left 13?; gill rakers 7 + 1 + 17; scale formula about 3 + 35+ ?. 



Measurements. — The measurements outside parentheses are in milli- 

 meters, and those in parentheses are expressed in hundredths of 

 standard length. Distance from tip of snout to base of midcaudal fin 

 rays 110; greatest depth of body 33 (30.0) near origin of spinous 



