NO. 2294. FISHES FROM WEST AFRICA— FOWLER. 215 



cavity nearly wide as iuterorbital. Deep pit nearly large as pupil 

 below lower eye front. 



A pair of frontal spines, conic and sharp pointed. Front of each 

 supraorbital with broad strong spine. Pair of supraorbital spines 

 posteriorly, and lower or second larger. Pair of spines at front of 

 occipital depression, widely separated, and from each hind corner of 

 depression row of four spines extend back, last about opposite base 

 of first dorsal spine. Close below on opercle above two large spines. 

 Pair of small close-set postocular spines close behind each eye. 

 Opercle with two large spines, lower slightly little posterior. Sub- 

 orbital bony stay with two small spines directed forward, then larger 

 one directed down over most of maxillary Avidth, and finally with 

 four more spines of which first two directed down and others directed 

 backward. Preopercle edge with four spines, uppermost with short 

 prong, and lower broader and more forward. 



Gill-opening forward about opposite second nostril. Rakers, in 

 2+6 IV, robust, rather clavate, short, spinescent, not quite long as 

 filaments, which If in eye. Pseudobranchiae about four-fifths of gill- 

 filaments. Isthmus Inroad, with narrow fleshy elongate-triangular 

 exposed area. 



Scales large, in oblique rows on trunk, cycloid, elongate, with very 

 fine incomplete parallel circuli and basal striae about 26 to 34. 

 Smaller scales on caudal base, also on belly, and still smaller on breast 

 and prepectoral region. Head largely covered with rather large 

 though inconspicuous scales. Preocular tentacle about equals ver- 

 tical diameter of pupil, and supraocular tentacle much larger or 

 about 1^ in horizontal eye-diameter. Series of tentacles around 

 snout border, large one in front and another from below and behind, 

 enlarged lower spine at front of suborbital stay, mandible and maxil- 

 lary with siiiall skinny flaps, and row across cheek below suborbital 

 stay. Others about hind preopercle edge, within iuterorbital, on 

 preorbital, etc. Skinny flap from hind edge of each scale in lateral 

 line, and many others from scales on sides of trunk, though rather 

 well scattered. Lateral line concurrent with dorsal profile from 

 shoulder to caudal base, not on latter, and tnbes all simple and well 

 exposed. 



Spinous dorsal inserted little before base of uppermost pectoral 

 ray, spines robust, edge deeply notched but without skinny flaps; 

 third spine longest, last If in third, and first shortest. Soft dorsal 

 inserted nearly midway between hind edge of gill-opening and caudal 

 base; fourth ray longest, fin edge notched and reaches back to caudal 

 base. Spinous anal inserted nearly opposite last dorsal spine base, 

 third spine slightly less than second, and first about half of second. 

 Soft anal much higher than soft dorsal, short base slightly less than 

 half height of fin, which rounded and reaches back about opposite 



