8 2 Memoir Sears Foundation for Marine Research 



Orbit: length 2.6-3.5. Pelvic fin: length 11. 4-13. 8. 



Interorbital: least bony distance 5.0—5.9. Distance from tip of snout to: dorsal 



Postorbital distance to: bony margin 8.3— origin 81.0-88.5; pelvic insertion 



lo.i; fleshy margin 9.5— 11. 5. 52.6—61.3. 



Frontal bones: least width 2.2—2.7. Distance from pelvic insertion to: anal ori- 



LoTO^r y<JTOj: width 5.3— 6.8; least width gin 24.9-32.0; pectoral insertion 



^•3~3-5- 23.5-28.1; lateral line 4.5-7.5. 



Mandible: length 1 3.7-1 9.6. Distance from dorsal origin to: occiput 



Dorsal fin: depressed length 1 3.9-1 6.4. 53.8-61.3; caudal base 14. 2-1 6.3; 



Anal fin: depressed length 14. 3-1 6.5. lateral line 5.4-7.5. 



Caudal fin: length 1 5.1— 19.3. Distance from anal origin to: caudal base 



Pectoral fin: length 8.8-1 1.8. 16. 0-19. 8. 



Proportional dimensions in per cent of head length for 30 specimens, 157—416 mm 

 length, with head lengths 61. 5-1 18.3 mm. 



Snout: length 57.3—62.3; least width Postorbital distance to: hony margin 2S.0— 



7.5-12.0. 32.2. 



Orbit: length 9.0— 11. 2. Lower Jaws: least width 6.3—12.6. 



Interorbital: least bony distance 15.5- Mandible: length 49.3-54.8. 



21.0. 



Proportional dimensions in per cent of snout length (si) and mandible length (ml). 



Snout: least width 4.8-8.2 in si. Lower Jaws: least width 4.0-8.5 in ml. 



Postsnout: distance 1.3— 1.6 in si. 



Statistics of meristic characters: first number — number of specimens; second and 

 third numbers — extremes in range of variation; fourth number — mean figure. 



Scales: transverse rows between pelvic Fin rays: dorsal 30, 7 or 8, 7.3; anal 



and dorsal origins 76, 30—33, 30, 7 or 8, 7.6; caudal 30, 12 or 



31.7; transverse rows 76, 21-25, '3' '2. 7; pectoral on left 30, 



22.3; predorsal 76, 47-51, 48.6; 9-1 ij 9-9 and on right 30, 9-1 1, 



lateral line 76, 54—59, 56.$. 9.7; pelvic 30, all with 6 rays on 



Gill rakers: 30, 19-33,24.9. both sides. 



Sexual Dimorphism. As in the case of L. oculatus, sexual dimorphism is apparent 

 in this species also, i.e. females attain a larger size and proportionally have a longer 

 snout than males. In length of snout, the females of platyrhincus overlap the males of 

 oculatus. 



Color. General coloration on back darker than in L. oculatus; coloration and pattern 

 on ventral surface highly variable, with specimens taken from the same place and at 

 the same time exhibiting variation from immaculate to solid black. Many specimens 



