70 fishes from brazil 



Family DACTYLOSCOPID^. 

 215. Dactyloscopus crossotus Starks, new species. 



Plate 12. 



The head is conical, with the strongly projecting symphysis of the lower 

 jaw forming its point. The length of the head (without the mandible) is 

 contained 4^ times in the entire length to the base of the caudal, and the 

 depth of the body from 6^/^ to 7 times. The mouth is moderately oblique, 

 or on an angle of about 45 degrees; the maxillary reaches to opposite the 

 posterior margin of the eye. The teeth are slender and inclined backward. 

 They are in two rows on each jaw, and are a trifle larger on the lower jaw 

 than on the upper. The eye is longer than the snout, twice as wide as the 

 entire interorbital space, and is contained 7 times in the length of the head. 

 There are from 9 to 12 opercular fringes. 



The dorsal spines run imperceptibly into the rays, so that a microscope 

 is necessary to distinguish them from each other. There are 12 spines and 

 29 articulated, unbranched rays. The anterior 4 spines are detached, the 

 membrane of one spine scarcely reaching the base of the next; the fifth is 

 slightly attached to the sixth, which in turn is broadly attached to the seventh 

 as in the succeeding ones. The anal has 2 spines and 31 rays. Its origin 

 is considerably behind the tips of the opercular fringes, which reach over the 

 base of the pectoral, while in Dactyloscopus trigiditatus its origin is opposite 

 the tips of the fringes. 



There are from 40 to 44 transverse series of scales and 9 longitudinal 

 series, counting at the tip of the pectoral. The head and breast are naked. 

 The lateral line runs high anteriorly, there being only a scale and a half 

 between the pore-bearing series and the dorsal. There are 12 scales in the 

 anterior part of the lateral line, 3 in the descending portion, and 31 in the 

 portion behind. 



In life the body and head were translucent pink or flesh-color. In 

 alcohol the color is white and very slightly dusky, with dark points above. 

 The beginning of about 10 light cross bars are indicated on the back, but do 

 not descend to the side. The fins are without color. 



This species is not closely related to any other known form, but is 

 probably closest to Dactyloscopus tridigitatus Gill, differing in having fewer 

 opercular filaments, a much larger eye, a heavier, more protruding mandible, 

 and the anal more posteriorly placed. It is more slender than any of the 

 others. 



