NO. 1351. SCORPJENOID FISHES OF J A PA X— .TORT) A X . 1 XI) .ST. 1 7.' AX 155 



The upper profile of head very much broken up, the superior post- 

 orbitnl roo-ioii dopressod antoriorl}', loaving the supraorbital roo-ion 

 much produced; a deep notch in front of orl)ital rim caused hv the 

 produced nasal region. Exposed bones of head very rough, the 

 orbital rim denticulate: and 2 or '4 irregular denticulate ridges along 

 suborbitals. Prcorbital with 2 short spines, the anterior directed 

 downward, the posterior downward jind backward. Preopcrcle with 

 a long, sharp spine a])ove and 4 smaller ones i)clow. Parietals veiy 

 rough and produced behind in spines, a rough ridge running ])ack- 

 ward froui posterior margin of e3'e. Mouth large; maxillary reach- 

 ing to below front of eye. Narrow bands of teeth on jaws scarcely 

 widened anteriorl} ; teeth on vomer in 2 small, widely separated 

 patches. Interorbital space narrow and deeply concave; through it 

 runs a pair of slight interorbital ridges, not very close together, its 



^^^ 



Fic. 15.— DECTEur.^s in'sii.i.i's. 



width three-fifths of orbit, or (> in head. Middle of under ])art of 

 mandible with a rather long barbel, and a smaller on(» l)etween it and 

 tip of mandil)le. La.st gill arch with a short slit behind it; 8 or 9 

 short, 1)lunt gill rakers on anterior limb of arch. 



Pectorals reaching to or a little past front of anal, and having 10 

 simple rays; lower detached ra^' reaching to tips of ventrals. Ven- 

 trals reaching to Aent; about half of last ray adnate to body. Dorsal 

 ■spines long and hair-like; the third, or longest, equal to snout and 

 half eye. No notch between dorsals. Caudal rounded. 



Color in spirits: Finely mottled with slaty above, abruptly wiiite 

 on lower half of side and body; membrane of spinous dorsal black; 

 soft dor.sal crossed by irregular d:iik lines; pectoral black on outer 

 face; inside sometimes black, sometimes with a tinge of white, but 

 never strikingly white as in species of Mi)i(>iit<; ventrals and anal 

 black toward tips of rays, shading at base into the w^hite of the under 



