jordan-snyder] collection of fishes from japan 239 



Interorbital space slightly convex. Anterior nostril with a low 

 rim. Jaws covered with bands of minute, trilobed teeth ; upper 

 and lower pharyngeals with small pads of villiform teeth. Width 

 of gill opening contained 2^/^ times in the length of head, projecting 

 about half its width below upper edge of pectoral fin ; gill-rakers 

 I -|- 7, small and stubby ; covered with horny setge ; filaments of 

 pseudobranchise about one-third as long as those of the gills. 



Origin of dorsal on a vertical passing through a point about 

 twice the diameter of eye behind base of pectoral ; origin of anal 

 below eighth dorsal spine ; anterior portions of both dorsal and anal 

 covered with thick skin and gelatinous tissue ; both fins united with 

 the caudal, the dorsal extending to within an eye's diameter of the 

 tip of the latter ; anal reaching vertical through tip of caudal. 

 Caudal slightly convex posteriorly. In L. agassicU the dorsal and 

 anal do not quite reach the middle of caudal ; the dorsal is partly 

 separated from the caudal by a notch ; the caudal is rounded pos- 

 teriorly. Pectoral rounded, with 40 rays (34 or 35 in Liparis 

 agasskii), none of the lower rays longer than those above them; 

 lowermost rays fleshy, their tips separated as in L. agassisii. Pads 

 of ventral disk soft ; edge of disk very thin ; longitudinal diameter 

 contained 2^ times in the length of head, a little less than distance 

 between disk and anal opening. 



Skin loose, the surface with very small irregular folds, on which 

 are minute plates or shields resembling thumb-tacks in shape, the 

 spicule pointing outward, the round flat head imbedded in the 

 epidermis (figure 29). Lips, chin, throat, axil, and belly apparently 

 without the plates. No barbels on head. Snout with 10 large pores 

 in a transverse row above mouth. 



Color pale gray, clouded with dark gray and black; a row of 

 small, blackish clouds along base of dorsal ; a second row of larger, 

 black clouds below the latter ; body near base of anal blackish ; 

 dorsal, anal, caudal blackish, especially along the edges ; pectoral 

 dark gray on the outer portions, blackish along edges ; under or 

 posterior side of fin darker than the outer. 



Family Ateleopid^ 



ATELEOPUS JAPONICUS Schlegel 



Three fine specimens, the one from oft' Izu, the others from off 

 Kozu in Sagami bay. 



" Several were taken on the Mirsukurina bank at Kozu. One 

 was caught in Tokyo bay where it was doubtless out of its depth." 



