NO. 9 AMERICAN FISHES HILDEBRAND 7 



This genus to date is represented by two species, .V. tropicus, the 

 type species of this genus, known from Panama and northern Peru, 

 and by tlie new species herein described from Cuba. 



NEOOPISTHOPTERUS CUBANDS, new species 



FiGl'RES 3 AND 4 



Head 4.25 to 4.6 {4-~5) • tlepth 4.75 to 5.8 (5.1) ; D. 13 or 14 

 (13) ; A. 39 to 43 (41) : P. 13 ; scales lost, about 43 pockets; ventral 

 scutes 23 to 28 (26) : vertebrae 47 (counted in one specimen). 



Body moderately elongate, not excessively compressed, its greatest 

 thickness between a third and fourth of its depth : dorsal outline of 

 head straight to slightly convex ; ventral outline anteriorly rather 

 strongly convex ; chest and abdomen compressed, armed with 23 to 

 28 (26) scutes; head short, not much longer than deep, its depth at 

 vertical from slight cross groove at occiput ^.2 to 5.8 (5.8) in standard 

 length ; margin of opercle rounded, without an indentation in front 

 of pectoral; snout about as long as eye, 3.3 to 4.2 (4.2) in head; 

 eye 3.4 to 4.1 (3.4) ; interorbital 7.3 to 9.0 (7.4) ; mouth moderately 

 oblique; mandible projecting slightly, 1.6 to 1.8 (1.75) in head; 

 maxillary rather narrowly rounded posteriorly, reaching to or some- 

 what beyond vertical from posterior margin of pupil. 1.55 to 1.8 (1.6) 

 in head ; teeth all small to minute, apparently in a narrow band on 

 anterior part of lower jaw, those on premaxillar\- and maxillary in a 

 single series, the row interrupted at point of overlapping of maxillary 

 and premaxillary, very small teeth on palatines, pterygoids, and median 

 line of tongue ; gill rakers slender, about as long as pupil at angle, 

 17 to 19 (18) on lower limb of first arch; scales nearly all missing, 

 rather large, very thin, with smooth margins, and without evident 

 striations : dorsal fin small, somewhat elevated anteriorly, its margin 

 convex, origin of fin rather more than an eye's diameter behind origin 

 of anal and about equidistant from margin of opercle and base of 

 caudal ; caudal fm forked, the lower lobe slightly the longer, scarcely 

 as long as head ; anal fm moderately long, its origin about equidistant 

 from posterior margin of eye and base of caudal, its base 2.55 to 3.0 

 <2.55J in standard length; pectoral fins injured, apparently fairly 

 large. 



Color of preserved specimens pale; side with a whitish band (no 

 doubt silvery in lite), about half as broad as eye; upper surface of 

 head posteriorly brownish with rather large dusky dots ; margin of 

 snout medianly and anterior part of mandible with dusky dots ; median 



