428 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



71. Triglops scepticus sp. nov. (Plate 28.) 



Very closely related to T. heani and T. pingeli, but different iu the following 

 respects: The eye is much larger, the snout shorter, and the maxillary shorter and 

 broader. The maxillary bone and the lower half of cheeks are invested with 

 prickles, not naked. The lower thickened portion of pectoral fin is produced to form 

 a lobe. The scales on the upper half of the body are much coarser. The dorsal 

 series of enlarged prickles is much less conspicuous. The lateral folds are much 

 more numerous, averaging about four to one pore of the lateral line, reaching to or 

 nearly to the anal lin and encircling the caudal peduncle below. The ventral fins 

 are much narrower and nearer together. The lateral line has a much more pro- 

 nounced upward curve over the base of the pectorals. A short, high occipital ridge 

 is present, but does not terminate in a distinct spine. (Occipital ridge obsolete in 

 T. heani, a bare trace of it sometimes visible.) 



Dorsal, xi, 21 to 23; anal, 22 to 24; pectoral, 19 (18 on left side in two specimens) ; 

 ventral i, 3; caudal with 12 fully developed rays; lateral line, 46 or 47; branchios- 

 tegals, 6. 



Body very robust, the upper profile descending rapidly from front of dorsal in a 

 regular curve to tip of the short snout. Depth, 5t to 5^ in length. Least depth of 

 caudal peduncle, 4^ to 4| in its length from base of last anal ray. 



Head of moderate length, 3^ to 3^ in body ; its width is 1* to 2 m its length. 

 Maxillary reaching to oi- nearly to vertical from middle of pupil, 2^ to 2i in head. 

 Mandible slightly i)rojecting. Teeth on jaws and vomer, none on palatines. Two 

 blunt spines on occiput. Eye very large, li times the interorbital width and 2\ in 

 head. Preopercle armed with five small spinovis points, the upper one pointing 

 upward and backward, the second and third backward, and the lower two pointing 

 forward. Opercle ending in a triangular sjiiue. Branchiostegal membranes broadly 

 united, free from the isthmus posteriorly. 



The upper part of the body aud the top and sides of head, including all of cheeks, 

 the lower, anterior, and upper parts of eye, and exposed portion of the maxillary, 

 thickly covered with prickly plates. These are much larger, more spinous and scale- 

 like than in T. pbujeli, and are on sides loosely arranged in series. Sjiines and rays 

 of dorsal, caudal, and pectoral fins, covered with series of prickles nearly to their 

 tips, except the lower thickened rays of pectorals, which are naked. A row of 

 enlarged plate-like scales along the lateral line, becoming very indistinct posteri- 

 orly. They are more numerous and less distinct than in T. jmigeli, 38 in number to 

 opposite the last ray of second dorsal. A similar series along the base of dorsal fins 

 ending opposite the posterior part of second dorsal. The lower half of the body is 

 crossed at short intervals by transverse undulating folds of skin, about 180 in num- 

 ber, the edge of each fold with small rough scales, causing it to appear sharply and 

 finely serrate. These scales are much larger and more spinous than in T. pingeli and 

 those of successive folds meet and overlap. The folds reach from the lateral line 

 quite to the anal fin, and behind the anal completely encircle the caudal peduncle. 

 In T. pingeli the space along the anal and the lower sides of caudal peduncle is 

 naked. 



Dorsal fins not counectid, the membrane from last dorsal spine connecting with 

 extreme base of first soft ray. Spinous dorsal liigher than soft dorsal; the dorsal 

 spines contained 2^ times in length of liead. Rays and spines slender. Base of anal 

 equal in length to that of second dorsal, a little more than one-third length of body. 

 Caudal truncate, with a number of short auxiliary rays above and below, and 

 12 fully develoj)ed rays, each of which is twice bil'urcate. Pectorals reaching 

 beyond front of anal, the longest ray 1^ to i;^ in length of head. Tlie lower rays 

 are enlarged and exserted, forming a distinct lobe, some of the rays of which are 

 longer than upper part of the fin. Ventrals reaching beyond vent, very narrow at 

 base, inserted close together, the outer ray not provided with the broad membranous 

 flap present in T. pingeli. 



