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PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM 



VOL. 85 



lowest rays of upper section graduated short; uppermost ray of 

 lower section little more than half length of upper section of fin. 

 Ventral reaches vent. 



Close to Dixiphistes but with a longer pectoral, though lower sec- 

 tion of fin greatly shorter, shorter snout, more dorsal spines and 

 stronger armature of the head. The absence of bony bucklers around 

 the base of the spinous dorsal will distinguish this genus from both 

 Dixiphistes and Dixiphistops. 



{8ia, divided + ^t'^os, sword + tx^us, fish.) 



DIXIPHICHTHYS HOPLITES, new species 



Figure 57 



Depth 3% in length from snout tip; head from snout tip (not tip 

 of rostral extensions) 2%, width 1%. Snout 21/5 in head; eye 4, 1% 

 in snout, slightly greater than front part of interorbital ; maxillary 

 reaches % to eye, expansion 214 in eye, length 2% in head ; bands of 

 very minute, fine, villiform teeth in jaws, concealed in closed jaws; 

 no teeth on palate; bony rostral extension on each side of end of 



H.W.F.del. 



FiGUHE 57. — Dixiphichthys hopJites, new genus, new specii s. Type. 



snout 2 in rest of head ; front part of interorbital width 41/3 in head, 

 rather deeply concave. Gill rakers 4+13, of which 2 above low rudi- 

 ments; gill rakers 2^4 in eye; gill filaments % of gill rakers. 



Pair of very short, low, sharp, wide set spines between hind 

 nostrils; broad, strong, low, obtuse postero-supraorbital spine; long, 

 strong spinje, projects back each side of occiput and reaches base of 

 second or third dorsal spine; keel of suborbital stay distinct, entire, 

 ends in a single, short, low spine at preopercle angle, not reaching 

 gill opening; opercle with small spine, level with lower part of eye; 

 short, strong, pointed, humeral spine, little inclined, II/3 in eye. Row 

 of small, scabrous scales along each side of base of spinous dorsal, 



