72 FISHES FROM BRAZIL 



A narrow one is across the top of the head just behind the eyes; two wider 

 ones are between it and the spinous dorsal ; one is under the spinous dorsal ; 

 two under the soft dorsal, and one at the base of the caudal fin. 



218. Thalassophrjme branneri Starks, new species. 



Plate 13. 



The head is as long as it is wide, and its length without the projecting 

 mandible is contained 2^ times in the entire length to the base of the caudal. 

 The mouth is not so nearly vertical as shown in Giinther's picture of the type 

 of Thalassophryne maculatiis, being on an angle of about 45 degrees. The 

 maxillary reaches back to opposite the posterior margin of the orbit. Short, 

 blunt teeth are in a single row on the vomer, palatines, and sides of the jaws. 

 On the front of the lower jaw they are in two rows, and on the front of the 

 upper jaw a second row is less evident, being represented by a few teeth 

 irregularly placed. The eye-ball is contained 10 times in the length of the 

 head; 2 times in the entire interorbital space, and is equal to the bony part 

 of the interorbital space. The width of the iris is not over half of that of 

 the eye-ball. The top of the gill opening is a trifle below the base of the 

 top pectoral ray and extends to a trifle below the lowest one. The spine 

 on the opercle is about twice as long as the dorsal spines, and is equal to 

 a third of the length of the head. 



The base of the first dorsal spine is a very little anterior to the point 

 of the opercular spine, and its distance from the tip of the snout is contained 

 3 times in the length. The dorsal has 20 rays and the anal 19. The longest 

 rays are toward the posterior end, and the fourth from the last one is almost 

 half as long as the head. The last dorsal and anal rays reach past the caudal 

 base a distance contained 6 times in the head. They are scarcely, or barely, 

 joined to the base of the caudal ; not so much so as in Thalassophryne 

 reticulata Giinther. The caudal fin is rounded and forms a sixth of the 

 entire length. The pectoral reaches to opposite the base of the sixth anal 

 ray, and is contained 1^ times in the head. 



The color is dark slaty brown above, growing lighter downward to milk 

 white on the ventral side. There is a faint suggestion of the beginning of 

 blended cross bars on the back; one on the caudal peduncle, two under the 

 soft dorsal, and one under the spinous dorsal. The skin surrounding the 

 dorsal spines is darker than elsewhere on the body. The fins are slate- 

 color, growing darker toward the outer ends of the rays; the ventral and 

 anal are white at the base, and all of the fins but the spinous dorsal are con- 

 spicuously margined with white. 



