186 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



vol.. XXXI. 



throughout, those of the outer series increasing slight y in size toward 

 front of jaw, but none of them canine-like; mandibnhir teeth in one 

 row, except at symphysis, where a few teeth form a short outer series. 

 Nasal openings of eyed side approximated in front of middle of interor- 

 bital space, the anterior with a short tube, the posterior with a raised 

 rim. Eyes small, their anterior margins opposite, the diameter of 

 lower eye equaling distance from tip of snout to posterior nostril, 6^ 

 in head. Interorbital space rather l)road and flat, not ridge-like, its 

 total width equaling- i diameter or orbit. Gillrakers short, broad, 

 triangular, minutely toothed on inner margin, one-third diameter 

 of eye; 7 present on horizontal limb of outer arch. Lateral line 

 with a short high anterior arch, the cord of which is one-fifth the 

 straight portion; heiglit of arch one- third its length; l)ehind the arch 

 lateral line descending in a gentle curv^e to middle of sides, the scales 



w-v 



^ 



IP i 



Hj 



""^j 



#-'' 



Fig. 7. — Verasper moseri. 



very rough, each possessing several long, sharp spines diverging from 

 median portion of po.storior margin; anterior and posterior portions 

 of dorsal and anal fins naked, the rays of the middle portion each with 

 a series of strongly ctenoid scales; caudal densely scaled to tip; pecto- 

 rals and ventrals naked; head covered with strongly spinous scales, 

 excepting snout, maxillary, and mandil)lo; on blind side of head the 

 snout, jaws, preopercle, subopercle, lower half of opercle, and all l)ut 

 a central strip on interopercle, scaleless; on blind side the scales are 

 rough on head, ventral area, and along bases of ventral fins, lai'gely 

 smooth elsewhere. Dorsal beginning above front of pupil, the rays 

 increasing in length to the forty-fifth, which is 2f in head; longest 

 anal ra}^ (the seventeenth) 2\ in head. Caudal ])roadl3" rounded, If in 

 head; pectoral short and broad, 2| in head; ventrals of nearly equal 

 length, reaching origin of anal, 3| in head; no anal spine. Color in 



