422 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The spiiiouH i)latee above the lateral Hue are similar to those found in J. humilia, 

 the anterior ones at least being circular, with a depressed center, and having the 

 margin provided with a series of short, strong spines, sometimes interrupted for a 

 short distance anteriorly. Under soft dorsal and on caudal peduncle the ])late8 are 

 smaller and less regular, being often much reduced in size, bearing 2 or 3 prickles 

 directed backward Irom the margin. Below the lateral line are plates similar to 

 those above, but fewer. 



Cephalic tubercles are undeveloped in the young, but become very conspicuous in 

 half-grown and adults. One above posterior margin of orbit and one at hinder edge 

 of occiput are the Largest and bear the short filamentfi. These rise very abruptly 

 without evident connection with ridges. Behind the supraorbital tubercle is a 

 smaller one, sometimes accompanied by one or two still smaller elevations, recalling 

 in their arrangement the digitate postocular ridges of J. humilis and A. pohjacaniho- 

 cejihalus. A smaller tubercle is present also immediately in advance of the principal 

 occipital one. Preopercular spine short, the upper one not exceeding, sometimes 

 much less than, longitudinal diameter of orbit. A well-developed pore behind last 

 gill. Dorsals very high, without appreciable interspace, the longest spine sometimes 

 equaling length of snout and eye, 2^ in head, eciualing the longest rays of soft dorsal. 



Fin rays are as follows in 16 specimens : 



The largest specimen is nearly uniform in the coloration of the upper parts, 

 showing but faint traces of the dark bars usually found in this group. In all 

 other specimens these are distinctly marked, though more irregular and less sharply 

 defined than in A. aellaris and A. imlyacanthoceplialus. As usual, there is a broad 

 bar under spinous dorsal, two narrower ones under soft dorsal, and a fourth on end 

 of caudal peduncle. The ground color is unusually pale. In a highly colored male 

 the lower part of sides is blackish, provided with roundish large white spots, the 

 margins of which are often made conspicuous by a series of minute black specks. 

 The fins are cousi)icuously barred. In most specimens a broad band of the light 

 ground color crosses occipital region and extends backward and downward, including 

 margin of preopercle above the spines and the greater portion of the opercle. 



Taken at Unalaska, and in Bristol Bay at stations 3228, 3231, 3232, 3233, 3234, 3245, 

 3293, and 3300 ; depths, .5 to 30 fathoms. 



64. Acanthocottus laticeps sp. uov. (Plates 26 and 27.) 



Coitus <cer)io|?/erus Bean, in Turner's Contributions to the Natural History of 

 Alaska, p. 94, plate 6; not of Kner. 

 Differing from A. iwniopterus Kner in the following respects: 



(1) The interorbital width is greater, If times the diameter of the eye in laticqta, 

 equaling the eye in tceniopierus. 



(2) Similarly the distance between the anterior ends of occipital ridges is IJ times 

 diameter of eye in laticeps, equal to eye in ianiopterus. 



(3) Conspicuous supraorbital and occipital tubercles in laticeps, each surmounted 

 by a fleshy filament; in ianiopterus "crown and occiput are without prominences or 

 spines, covered only with naked warty skin." 



(4) In laticeps the preopercle has two diverging si)ines, a single downwardly 

 directed s))iuo below them. In twniopteTus are two downwardly directed spines 

 below the angle. 



(5) The ventrals are much shorter, not reaching vent when depressed, while in 

 tainiopterus they reach the anal papilhe. Tlie dorsals are also much lower in laticepe. 



