Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology 19 



cealed above, reaches front of eye. Lips rather fleshy. Pre- 

 maxillaries protractile downward. Mandible depressed, shal- 

 low, rami well elevated inside mouth. Edges of jaws, though 

 trenchant, rather weak. Tongue rather small, thick and hard- 

 ly free. Nostrils together, lateral on snout close before up- 

 per front of eye, anterior with cutaneous rim and posterior 

 larger. Interorbital broad and but slightly convex. Preor- 

 bital I 25 in eye, elongate or its greatest width about 3 ,'4 its 

 length. Other suborbitals all moderate in width. Hind pre- 

 opercle edge inclined a little in front, nearly straight, and at 

 corner would form a slightly obtuse angle. 



Gill-opening extending forward about opposite hind edge 

 of preopercle, and width of isthmus at that point I 1/3 in 

 eye. Gill-rakers about 3 -+- 7 ?, short weak rudimentary 

 points. Gill-filaments large, i 1/4 in eye. Pseudobranchise 

 about 2/3 of largest gill-filaments. Isthmus broad, its sur- 

 face nearly level or only very slightly convex. Teeth 4-4, 

 compressed, rather lanceolate or with tips but slightly curved 

 over and grinding-surfaces well developed, broader below. 



Scales large, rhomboidal vertically, well exposed, of more 

 or less equal size except along median predorsal region where 

 smaller and crowded, and disposed in rows parallel length- 

 wise with 1. 1. Rather broad adnate scale in ventral axilla. 

 Each scale on body usually with very fine radiating striae. 

 L. 1. continuous, of simple tubes with each one extending to 

 edge of scale, and its course nearly straight or about midway 

 along side, but very slightly decurved at first. 



Dorsal origin about midway between hind nostril and cau- 

 dal base, and graduated down from first branched ray, which 

 highest. Second simple dorsal ray separated from third by 

 membrane of rather broad space. Anal origin inserted just 

 behind last dorsal rav base, and first branched ray highest 



