118 PKOCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.85 



differs in the elongated snout, with the maxillary falling well short 

 of the eye, tlie uppermost ray of the lower section of the pectoral fin 

 longer tlian the upper section of the fin, its armature of the head, 

 bucklers, scales, etc. 



(5ia, divided + ^t0os, sword.) 



DIXIPHISTES MACRORHYNCHUS. new species 



FiouKE 56 



Depth 4l^ in length from snout tip ; head from snout tip (not tip 

 of rostral extensions) 2Vij, width 2%. Snout I34 in head; eye 4%, 

 2% in snout, subequal with interorbital ; maxillary reaches % to 

 eye, expansion 2 in eye, length 2% in head; band of minute villiform 

 teeth in each jaw, up|)er exposed when mouth closes; no teeth on 

 palate; bony rostral extension eacli side of end of snout fi/o in rest 

 of head ; interorbital 4% in head, deeply concave. Gill rakers 3 + 13, 

 slender, fi/o in eye ; gill filaments % of gill rakers. 



No supraorbital spines; strong, backward-projecting spine, each 

 side of occiput reaching spinous dorsal origin; keel of suborbital stay 

 distinct, entire, ends in single, moderate spine behind at angle of 

 preopercle edge, spine projecting slightly behind gill opening; 

 opercle with small spine, level with lower part of eye; large strong 

 humeral sohie, length % of eye. Row of rugose striate bucklers 

 along ])ase of spinous dorsal, one also just in front of fin but invades 

 only about 14 of predorsal space, which otherwise smooth and scale- 

 less; Ijuckleis without any spines. Soft dorsal without bucklers 

 though on each side of base a very small, inconspicuous, short spine, 

 very evident if tlie finger is drawn along the base of the fin. 



Scales minute, ii-regular, largely little or nonimbricate; absent from 

 predorsal and narrow strip below bucklers of spinous dorsal, chest, 

 breast, prepecloral and region behind bases of paired fins. Lateral 

 line distinct, tubes 52 in its course to caudal base. Bones of head 

 all more or less finely and smoothly rugose striate. 



D. VII — I, 11, third spine 3 in head from snout tip, third ray 

 3Vi ; A. 12, 1, fifth ray 414, fin edge not notched; caudal 1%, hind edge 

 slightly concave and end of each lobe pointed ; least depth of caudal 

 peduncle 1% in eye; pectoral very long, reaches middle of soft anal 

 or dorsal, fin length 2%^ in fish from snout tip to caudal base; rays 

 10, v-iii, uppermost of 3 lower detached rays slightly longer than 

 upper section of fin; ventral inserted little before pectoral base, 

 with spine and 5 rays, fin length 1% in head from snout tip. 



Head pale or very light brown, with traces of whitish or silvery 

 reflections. Iris whitish, with gray. Back and body brown, with 

 silvery or white on belly. Fins all more or less pale or wdiitish. 



