PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 411 



DESCKIPTIOIV OF A IVEW SPECffES OF l»ARAIiEIPIS (PARAl EPI9 



t'ORttJSCAIVS), E.<'K®]TI TBIE STKAITS ©F JUAIV DE FUCJA. 



By ©AVID S. JOMI>A]¥ asad CHARLES II. GILBERT, 



Paralepis coruscans, sp. uov. 



Allied to P. horcaUs Eeinli. 



Head and body very elongate, compressed, almost ribbon-shaped, of 

 uniform width throughout, and preserving its depth forwards to occiput 

 and backwards to origin of dorsal fin. From the insertion of the dorsal 

 the body is gradually narrowed to the very slender caudal iieduncle, the 

 base of anterior portion of anal projecting much beyond the ventral out- 

 line. 



Abdomen compressed, subtrcnchant. 



Head long, wedge-shaped, its upper and lower outlines equally ob- 

 lique. Snout very long and sharp, equaling half the length of the head, 

 its tip on a line with the axis of the body. Eye large, its diameter one- 

 third the length of the snout, placed high, with its upper margin on a 

 level with the top of the head. 



Head shaped somewhat as in Sphyrwna. Jaws equal; gape very 

 wide; maxillar^^ reaching the vertical from the nostril ; mandibular joint 

 reaching the vertical from the anterior margin of the pupil. 



Mandible closing inside the margins of the upper jaw, the latter being 

 transversely much arched to receive it; tip of mandible fitting into an 

 emargiuation between the iutermaxillaries. 



None of the teeth very large or fang-like. Iutermaxillaries laterally 

 with a single series of exceedingly minute teeth (as in UngrauUs) ; anteri- 

 orly, however, on each side is a series of 4 or 5 rather long acicular teeth ; 

 the entire intermaxillary series is outside of the mandible in the closed 

 mouth. Vomer with minute teeth. Palatine series long; the anterior 

 teeth long and slender; the jiosierior short. Mandibular series working 

 against the palatines; the teeth slender, distant, of different lengths. 



Branches of the lower jaw transversely deeply concave. Maxillary 

 ^nd intermaxillary slender, intimately connected, sliding under a fold 

 of the skin. 



All the bones of the head very thin, flexible, membrane-like. Pre- 

 oibital long, very narrow, arched, extending forwards from orbit, reach- 

 ing maxillary midway of its length. Suborbital chain likewise narrow. 



Head with numerous sharp ridges; two forwards from the orbit; two 

 pairs on the top of the head, converging forwards. Oibital ring slightly 

 raised. Preopercular margin very oblique. Opercle with concentric 

 striiB and radiating lines. 



Gill-openings very wide, extending forwards to vertical from nostril ; 

 isthmus anteriorly much compressed, thin and membrane-like, the gills 

 of the two sides lapping over and meeting across the ridge. Mandibu- 

 lar rami and subopercles and interopercles of the two sides meeting 

 below across the isthmus. 



