148 BULLETIN 189, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Body somewhat compressed, slightly quadrate in cross section; 

 caudal peduncle rather strongly compressed, its depth 3.3, 3.4 in head; 

 head moderately flat above, notably deeper than wide; snout short, 

 5.1, 4.8 in head; eye 3.8, 3.8; interorbital 3.2, 3.2; mouth rather small, 

 terminal; maxillary 4.2, 4.55 in head; teeth not definitely discernible; 

 gill rakers slender, 8 above and 19 below angle on first arch (counted 

 in the smaller specimen only); lateral line not evident on caudal pe- 

 duncle, lying in a modified row of scales where present; scales large, 

 rather loosely attached; dorsal fin not greatly elevated, its origin 

 almost directly over that of anal, its base 4.1, 4.4 in length; anal base 

 about same length 4.2, 4.4; ventral short, with a definitely concave 

 margin, next to outermost ray longest 1.8 in head in largest specimen 

 (fins broken in smaller one); pectoral very long, reaching nearly or 

 quite to base of caudal, 1.33, 1.33 in length. 



Color of old preserved specimens brownish above, sides silvery, pale 

 underneath ; dorsal and caudal somewhat dusky gray ; anal and ventral 

 pale; pectoral dusky brown. 



The foregoing description is based on two specimens, about 205 mm. 

 (163 mm. to base of caudal) and about 210 mm. (173 mm. to base of 

 caudal) long, the caudal fin being damaged in each specimen. The 

 proportions and enumerations given first apply to the smaller speci- 

 mens in each instance. The fish were taken by the Albatross at lati- 

 tude 6° S., but just how far offshore is not known. These specimens 

 (U.S.N.M. Nos. 41414 and 41353) may be the ones mentioned by 

 Abbott (1899, p. 337). It seems proper to consider that they were 

 taken in Peruvian waters. 



Range. — Virtually all warm seas. 



Genus DANICHTHYS Bruun, 1934 



In this genus the ventral fins are long, reaching well beyond origin 

 of anal, and are inserted nearer base of caudal than tip of snout. The 

 anal and dorsal have about an equal number of rays, the bases are of 

 nearly equal length, and the dorsal is over or little behind origin of 

 the anal. The long pectorals, which reach beyond end of base of 

 dorsal, have the fu-st and second rays simple and the thhd bifurcate. 



DANICHTHYS RUFIPINNIS (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 

 VOLADOR 



lExocoetus exsiliens Jentns (not of Gmelin), 1842, p. 122, ofT coast of Peru, at 



lat. 18° S. 

 Exocoetus rufipinnis Cuvier and Valenciennes, 18-46, p. 99, Paita, Peru (original 



description, based on a specimen 12 inches long). 

 Exonautes specuUger Abbott (probably in part not of Cuvier and Valenciennes), 



1899, p. 337 {E. rufipinnis Cuvier and Valenciennes in synon3'iny, and a 



note. "The fish described by Jenyns as Exocoetus exiliens Bloch 12 without 



i> "Blocb" presumably was a slip of the pen, Gmelin being intended. 



