FISHES — COTTIDAE — NAUTICHTHYS OCULO-FASCIATUS. 75 



NAUTICHTHTS OCULO-FASCIATUS, G r d . 



Spec. Char. — Posterior extremity of tlie maxillary extending to a vertical line drawn across the anterior rim of the pupil. 

 First dorsal anteriorly inliform. Extremities of posterior rays of both the dorsal and anal projecting beyond the insertion 

 of the caudal. Anal fin shorter than the second dorsal, and not as deep as the latter is high. Ground color of a uniform 

 rusty red. A black band crosses the eye, through the pupil, and extends across the cheeks. 



Syn. — Blepsias omlc-fmciatus, Grd. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. November, 1857, 202. 



The body is elongated, rather slender and compressed ; its g;reatest depth upon the thoracic 

 region being about the fifth of the total length ; hence it gradually diminishes towards the 

 peduncle of the tail, which is about the third of the greatest depth. The specimen before us 

 is four inches and a quarter in total length, in which the head enters four times, the caudal fin 

 excluded ; the latter being a little shorter than the head. The upper surface of the head has 

 quite an uneven appearance, caused, in the first place, by the elevation of the upper rim of the 

 orbit, which not only raises above the surface of the head but is provided with small conical 

 processes. Thus we have a very narrow and deeply grooved interocular region. The occipital 

 region, which is depressed, exhibits, right and left, two conical spine-like processes. Again, 

 upon the snout, are two more spines, one right and one left, the projection of the turbinal 

 bones. The snout, otherwise, is declivous and sub-conical. The eye is large and subcircular ; 

 its diameter entering about three times in the length of the side of the head, and less than 

 once in advance of its anterior rim. The mouth is moderately cleft, with its gape nearly hori- 

 zontal, and the posterior extremity of the maxillary bone extending to a vertical line which 

 would intersect the anterior rim of the pupil. The teeth are very minute and velvet-like. 

 Four small conical processes may be observed upon the convexity of the preopercle ; two directed 

 upwards and backwards, and the other two downwards and forwards. The preopercle is spine- 

 less, whilst the suprascapular exhibits two conical processes resembling those upon the occiput. 

 The gill apertures do not communicate together, but are separated under the throat by a very 

 wide isthmus ; the branchiostegal rays are five on either side, all tolerably well developed. 



The origin of the anterior dorsal takes place at the occiput, and thus anteriorly to the base of 

 the pectorals. The three anterior rays are long and filiform, and inclined forwards ; the 

 remaining rays diminish rapidly in height, and although both dorsals are contiguous upon 

 their base, a very wide gap exists between them. The second dorsal is well developed, extending 

 as far as the insertion of the caudal, beyond which its posterior rays project. Anteriorly it is 

 aboHt equal in height to the two-thirds of the depth of the body upon the same region, but 

 posteriorly it is much higher than the body is deep. The rays are dichotomised, and so are the 

 rays of the caudal. The latter fin, as already stated, is shorter than the head, and rounded 

 upon its posterior margin. The origin of the anal is situated a little nearer the extremity 

 of the snout than the base of the caudal fin. It is less deep than the second dorsal is high, 

 and does not extend so far posteriorly, though the tips of its posterior rays reach the insertion 

 of the caudal. All the rays of the anal are soft or articulated, but the posterior ones alone are 

 dichotomised. The ventrals are elongated and slender, inserted under the base of the pectorals, 

 and projecting beyond the vent ; the latter being placed quite in advance of the ant&rior margin 

 of the anal, which is not reached by those fins. Their rays are simple. The pectorals are broad, 

 inserted upon an oblique base, and when brought backwards alongside the body, their longest rays 

 are made to project beyond the origin of the anal ; the upper rays alone being dichotomised. 



Br. V: V; D IX, 27; A 19 ; C 2, 1, 5, 4, 1, 2 ; V I, 3 ; P 14. 



