FTSHES FROM JAPAN— JORDAN AND THOMPSON. 



69 



lateral scutes broader than length of eye, ventral lobe being half of 

 same; two well-developed spines on each scute, the upper larger. 

 Spinous dorsal low, longest spine equal to length of eye, not reaching 

 insertion of second dorsal when supine ; soft dorsal highest anteriorly, 

 third ray 2 J in head ; soft dorsal inserted § diameter of eye posterior 

 to anal; latter's rays longest in center, 1^ times eye diameter; long- 

 est free pectoral ray shorter than tip of pectoral by length of snout ; 

 in largest specimen four free pectoral rays present, in smaller three; 

 tips of pectorals reaching seventh anal ray. 



Color of spinous dorsal dusky on distal half, margin colorless; 

 pectorals somewhat spotted; indistinct traces of spots on body and 

 orbital area, but color of body nearly completely faded. 



In the paper of Jordan and Richardson ^ the existence of two 

 well-defined species of Hoplichthys in Japan was made evident. 

 One of these was wrongly identified as the original HopliclitJiys 

 langsdorfii of Cuvier and Valenciennes. The other was named 

 Hoplichthys gilberti. (Fig. 3.) 



Fig. 5.— Hopuchthts lvngsdorfii Temminck and Schlegel. 



In a personal letter of the same year, Mr. Regan informed Doctor 

 Jordan of the existence of a third species, not known to Jordan and 

 Richardson, and that this third species is the original Hoplichthys 

 langsdorfii. This opinion seems to be corrfect, and in this paper we 

 describe and figure the true H. langsdorfii. (Figs. 4 and 5.) In the 

 American Naturalist for December, 1908, Doctor Jordan renames the 

 species described and figured by Jordan and Richardson under the 

 erroneous name of Hoplichthys langsdorfii, calling it Hoplichthys regani 

 Jordan. (Fig. 2.) 



The following analysis will faciUtate the discrimination of the 

 species. 



Key to Japanese species of Hoplichthys. 



a'. Under side of head with a tuft of strong spines at the outer posterior angle of each 

 mandible; lateral facial edges strongly lobed and with strong curved spines; 



lower spine of lateral scutes very obscure. Anal rays 16 regani. 



a^. Under side of head without spines; lateral facial edges scarcely lobed; rather 

 weakly serrated, except posteriorly; anal rays 17 or 18. 



6^ Lateral scutes each with two well-developed spines langsdorfii. 



b^. Lateral scutes, each with the lower spine very minute or hidden, .gilherti. 



1 Pioc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 33, 1908, p. 64o. 



