516 PSYCHROLTITIDJE. 



Fam. 43. PSYCHROLUTIDiE. 



Body rather elongate, naked ; head large. Teeth small. A single 

 dorsal fin on the tail, without spinous portion ; anal similarly de- 

 veloped as the dorsal ; ventrals close together, thoracic, composed of 

 a few rays. Three giEs and a half ; pseudobranchise well developed. 

 Gill-opening of moderate width, the gill-membranes attached to the 

 isthmus. 



West coast of North America. 



The new fish for which I have created this family exhibits several 

 characters indicating its natural affinity to the Discoboli and Oobi- 

 esoces, which are Acanthopterygians as this Order is understood at 

 present. It is impc ssible, however, to refer it to one of these or of 

 the other families without giving up the chief characters on which 

 they are founded. It agrees — 



1, with the Blenniidce in the structure of the ventral fins, but is 

 distinguished by the position of these fins and by the total absence 

 of the spinous dorsal ; 



2, with the Discololi, and especially with Liparis, in the structure 

 of the infraorbital bone, in the integuments of the body, &c., but 

 differs from them in the dorsal and ventral fins ; 



3, with the Gohiesoces in the structure of the dorsal fin, but having 

 no adhesive apparatus. 



4, It differs from the Batracliidoi and Pediculati in the dorsal and 

 ventral fins, in the giU-apparatus, &c. 



1. PSYCHROLITTES. 



Characters the same as of the family. 



1. Psychrolutes paradoxus. 

 B. 7. D. 9. A. 9. C. 12. V. 2. 

 Brownish-grey, with large deep-brown blotches ; caudal and pec- 

 toral fins dotted and spotted with black. 



a. Gulf of Georgia (Vancouver Islands). Voyage of H.M.S. Plumper. 



Description of the specimen. — This fish resembles in its general 

 habit somewhat the genus Liparis. Its head is large, not quite so 

 high as broad, its length being two-sevenths of the total. The snout 

 is obtuse, although considerably longer than the eye, rounded, with 

 the upper profile steeper than the lower. The cleft of the mouth is 

 obhque, of moderate width, with the jaws equal anteriorly ; a narrow 

 band of minute teeth in the jaws ; the palate appears to be smooth. 

 The maxiUary, which is widened at its posterior extremity, extends 

 to below the middle of the eye. The nostril is situated very near to 



