384 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 202 Vol. 2 



pectoral bases; maxillary slipping under a sheath below eye, except 

 its rear tip; eye small, without free margin; three pairs of barbels on 

 snout and three pairs on chin; nasal openings two on each side, one 

 of the barbels on snout arising from rear side of anterior nasal open- 

 ing; teeth villiform, in a band on both jaws and on palatines, those 

 on vomer in a V-shaped villiform band. 



Color in alcohol. — Plain light brownish; fins dusky; lips dark 

 brownish. 



Ecology. — This species was taken on the reef in shallow water. 



Remarks.— Ruhh^ (Copeia, No. 3, pp. 162-178, figs. 1, 2, 1944) 

 revised the genus Brotula and recognized three species. One of these, 

 multiharhata, he limited to the tropical Indo-Pacific and in its synon- 

 ymy he placed 12 named species. Although at the time that seemed 

 the best approach because of limited material available, the problem 

 of speciation in the vast Indo-Pacific is not yet settled. The data 

 presented by Hubbs and by Gosline and that on the two specimens 

 described herein indicate that the problem at least needs further 

 study. Hildebrand and Barton (Smithsonian Misc. Coll., vol. Ill, 

 No. 11, pp. 25-28, fig. 7, 1949) described a new species of Brotula 

 from Talara, Peru, which is unlike multibarbata or iownsendi in having, 

 among other characters, the dorsal origin in front of pectoral base. 



Brotula maculata Day (Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 196, 1868, type 

 locality, Madras) may be a distinct species, as its described color does 

 not agree with multibarbata or iownsendi, and it has an intermediate 

 number of fin rays, dorsal 115, anal 107. 



Subfamily Brosmophycinae 



BROSMOPHYCIOPS, new genus 



Type species. — Brosmophyciops pautzkei, new species. 



Caudal fin separate from dorsal and anal fins; maxillary concealed 

 by dermal fold of cheek; no barbels; scales on body imbricated, none 

 on head; eyes present, moderately large; opercular spine, short, stout; 

 no preopercular spine; lateral line obsolete or absent; lower jaw a little 

 included; pectoral rounded, middle rays longest; pelvic rays ii, closely 

 adhering and appearing as a single ray; a single short, blunt, p3doric 

 caecum on each side of pylorus; a vertical line through dorsal origin 

 passes a little way behind pectoral base; anus slightly closer to tip of 

 snout than base of caudal fin. 



This new genus was proposed after considerable study of the various 

 genera and species referable to the brotulid subfamily, Brosmophy- 

 cinae. This subfamily as herein understood includes a group of genera 

 in which barbels are lacking, the caudal fin is distinct and separate 

 from the dorsal and anal fins, and the males have a spiny copulatory 



