FISHES OF FAMILY MICRODESMIDAE — REID 63 



fins joined to caudal by membrane. Ventral fins small, close to- 

 gether, situated opposite base of the pectorals. Gill openings small, 

 restricted laterally, the upper angle attached opposite the base of 

 the third pectoral ray, the opening extending obhquely downward and 

 forward at an angle of 45° with the axis of the body to a point below 

 and in front of the lower pectoral ray, the aperture about equal to 

 width of the pectoral base. Body and head, except snout and lower 

 jaw, covered with minute nonimbricate scales imbedded in the skin. 

 Color light brown, the upper surface with small dark spots and reticu- 

 lations, the spots forming dark bands on the body that extend well 

 down on the flank following the course of the myomeric impressions. 



Type taken at Malimba Bay, Kwele-Kwele Island, in Douala Bay, 

 Cameroons. Total length 51 mm. Paratype from near same 

 locality. 



This species differs from M. ionthas (Jordan and Gilbert) and from 

 M. floridanus (Longley) in. the more posterior insertion of the dorsal 

 fin and larger gill openings. 



MICRODESMUS DIPUS GUnther 



Figure 9, c; Figure 10, c; Plate 2, Figure 3 



Microdesmus dipus Gunther, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1864, p. 26, pi. 3, fig. 2 

 (Panama). — Lockington, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1881, p. 114 

 (La Paz, Lower California). — Jordan and Evermann, U. S. Nat. Mus. 

 Bull. 47, pt. 3, p. 2450, 1898 (Panama). — Gilbert and Starks, Mem. 

 California Acad. Sci., vol. 4, p. 195, 1904 (name only). 



Body comparatively short, of about equal depth throughout, 

 somewhat compressed posteriorly. Lower jaw projecting, with a 

 small inconspicuous fleshy lump at the symphysis. Caudal portion 

 of body little shorter than rest of body, the vent about midway be- 

 tween base of caudal fin and posterior border of eye, or slightly nearer 

 base of fin. Head 9.2 in standard length; depth 14.7; predorsal 6.3; 

 preanal 1.8; caudal without fin 2.3; preventral 9.3; base of ventrals 

 to vent 2.2; snout 6.4 in head measured to upper end of gill opening; 

 interorbital 8. Dorsal 55, anal 34, pectoral 12, ventral 1-3. Eye 

 small but larger than in related species, about equal to length of 

 snout, high and lateral. Mouth small, little oblique, the gape not 

 reaching anterior border of the eye. Lower jaw and snout with 

 well-defined longitudinal ridges. Lips thin, with small flanges lat- 

 erally, the lower slightly larger; anterior nostril a small round pore 

 at the oral end of the frontal longitudinal ridges; posterior nostril 

 porelike, above and before eye. Teeth minute, even, close-set, in 

 two irregular series in the jaws; vomer and palatines toothless. Gill 

 openings restricted laterally, extending from base of the fourth 

 pectoral ray obliquely downward and forward to a point in front of 

 lower ray of fin, the length of the opening about equal to the width 



78934— Se—— 2 



