OSTEOLOGY OF RHAMPHOCOTTUS 463 



II. OBSERVATIONS 

 . A. DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIES 



The head is very large, constituting about one-half the length 

 of the fish, and its greatest depth is equal to the greatest depth 

 of the body; it has two bony ridges which above are continuous 

 with the orbital rims and end in blunt spines at the occiput; the 

 space between the ridges is deeply concave. The snout is no- 

 tably long and narrow; the mouth is U-shaped, and its gape is 

 longer than wide. The lips are thick, the upper lip protruding 

 and bearing a branched dermal flap. Bands of villiform teeth 

 occur on the jaws and the vomer; there are no teeth on the 

 palatine bones. The eye is placed high; its diameter is contained 

 twice in the length of the snout. Moderately long spines are 

 developed on the frontals above the eyes. The nasal spines are 

 strong and recurved. There is a strong sharp spine at the angle 

 of the preoperculum, and a blunt one at the posterior angle of 

 the operculum. A small sharp spine is borne on the posttemporal 

 just above the operculum, and a very strong spine arises from 

 the clavicle, just above the gill opening. The gill opening is 

 placed high and its length is equal to that of the snout. The dor- 

 sal fins are VIII, 13; pectoral 16; ventral I, 3; anal 7; and caudal 

 11. The highest dorsal spine is contained nine times in the 

 length of the body; the highest ray, six times; the longest pectoral, 

 three times; the longest caudal, four and one-eighth; the longest 

 anal, four and one-half; and the longest ventral, three and one- 

 fourth times. A variable number of irregular black spots appear 

 near the base of the dorsal spines and rays. 



The color markings of the fish are characteristic as well as 

 beautiful. A single dark stripe passes forward and downward 

 over the side of the peduncle. Parallel in general with this 

 stripe are five more or less complex bands arranged in loops and 

 curves on the side of the body between the peduncle and the 

 shoulder girdle. There is a dark patch over the lower surface of 

 the clavicle which extends from the lower pectorals to the gill 

 covering. A small dark ring crosses the apex of the body near 

 the middle of the spinous dorsal and a very small dark ring may 



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