310 BULLETIN 10 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



opposite middle of eye, expansion 1% in eye, length 23^ in head from 

 snout tip; teeth fine, pointed, in narrow bands in jaws, on vomer and 

 palatines; pair of wide set upper canines, lower jaw with close set 

 divergent mandibular pair and larger lateral curved anterior canine; 

 interorbital 3%, convex; preopercle edge serrate; opercle with 3 dis- 

 tinct spines. Gill rakers 11 + 23, finely lanceolate, twice gill filaments 

 or 1% in eye. 



Scales 35 in lateral line to caudal base and 1 more on latter; 5 above, 

 13 below, 24 predorsal, 7 across cheek to preopercle edge; maxillary 

 with 4 rows of scales transversely; soft dorsal and anal with small 

 basal scales; caudal largely covered with fine scales. Scales with 11 

 basal radiating striae; apical denticles 73, slender, biserial; circuli fine. 



D. X, 14, i, third spine 2 in head, twelfth ray 1)4; A. Ill, 7, 1, third 

 spine 2J^g, fourth ray l^; caudal (broken) about equals head, deeply 

 emarginate; least depth of caudal peduncle 2; pectoral l}4; ventral 

 2}/2 in combined head and body to caudal base. 



Uniformly light brown, lower sides and under surface silvery white. 

 Diffuse, obscure median pale lateral band from eye to caudal base. 

 Iris silvery white. Fins all pale brown. Caudal with median rays 

 grayish terminally. 



Only known from the type, U.S.N.M. No. 89988. 



Diagnosis. — Its pale coloration with a diffuse silvery median lateral 

 band is diagnostic. 



4356 (D. 5308). 21° 54' N., 115° 42' E. November 4, 1908. 62 fathoms. 

 Length 100 mm. (Type.) 



Genus GRAMMISTES Schneider 



Grammistes Schneider, Syst. Ichth. Bloch, 1801, p. 182. Type Grammistes 

 orientalis Schneider, designated by Bleeker, Arch. N6erland., Sci. Nat. 

 Haarlem, vol. 11, 1876, p. 258. 



Body compressed. Mouth large, protractile. Chin with rudimen- 

 tary dermal appendage. Maxillary exposed, with supplemental bone. 

 Bands of villiform teeth in jaws and on vomer and palatines; tongue 

 smooth. Preopercle with 2 or 3 spines on hind edge. Opercle with 

 3 strong spines. Gill membranes separate. Pseudobranchiae present. 

 Gill rakers short. Branchiostegals 7. Vertebrae 24, of which 13 

 caudal. Scales very small, cycloid, and obtusely keeled scales envel- 

 oped in slimy coating of epidermis. Head partly naked, scaly on 

 sides. Lateral line complete, tubes straight. Dorsal spines 6 or 7, 

 rays 13 to 15, spinous fin long as or little shorter than soft fin. Anal 

 without distinct spine, rays 10 or 1 1 . Caudal rounded. Pectoral rays 

 17, partly symmetrical, rounded. Ventral with short spine, fins close 

 together in advance of pectoral. 



Indian and western tropical Pacific Oceans. 



