312 DEEP SEA FISHES. 
long as the distance from the snout to the origin of the anal fin, little higher 
than wide, convex on the crown, swollen around the gill chamber. Snout 
less than one fifth as long as the head, shorter than the mouth, extending 
forward of the lower jaw one diameter of the eye, curving downward in the 
outline from the crown. Eye small, nearly one twelfth as long as the head, 
two fifths of the length of the snout; pupil longer than high. Mouth wide, 
reaching one diameter of the eye backward of the orbit, longer than the 
snout. Teeth with rounded crowns, in two more or less regular series on 
jaws and vomer; anterior group on the upper jaws larger, exposed in front 
of the chin. Vomerine series longer than the mouth, passing backward of 
the eye; anteriorly they appear to be in two series, posteriorly there is evi- 
dence of an irregular third. About the middle of the Jength of the mandi- 
bulars there are three series. Nostrils small; anterior with a short tube, 
directed downward immediately in front of the lower jaw; posterior hidden 
in the lip below the forward part of the eye. Gill openings oblique, width 
equal to one and one half times that of the orbit, or little more than half of 
that of the space separating them on the chest. 
Dorsal and anal fins low, not united at the tail; no caudal fin. Dorsal 
origin on a vertical half way from the mouth to the pectoral; anal origin 
two fifths of the distance from the snout to the end of the tail. Pectorals 
very short, deeper than long, appearing as a fold along the hinder edge 
of the gill opening; rays distinctly visible. Lateral line distinct, pores 
small. 
Light rusty brownish ; with thirty-three large spots of brown in a series 
on each side of the back above the lateral line, with a series of smaller spots 
below the lateral line, alternating with the series above it, and with a more 
or less incomplete third series below the second at the sides of the base of 
the anal fin; hinder part of gill chamber yellowish white; belly lighter ; 
dorsal tipped with white and bearing a series of small blotches of brown; 
head with five or six somewhat irregular transverse series of small spots, 
smaller forward and below, forming complete circles between the snout 
and the middle of the gill chamber. While the lateral spots on the body 
commonly alternate, there are cases in which they coalesce and form 
bands. 
Hab. Panama and northward. Described by Gilbert from La Paz Bay, 
Gulf of California. This species would better be placed in the subgenus 
Pisodontophis Kaup. It is not a deep sea fish. 
