74 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. [188'). 



The genus Flectromus, Gill (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., VI, 257) is not 

 sufficiently distinguished, in the description, from Melamj)hae's,G\intheT-^ 

 but its smaller number of spines may prove constant and will enable us 

 to separate the two with certainty. The dentition also, concerning 

 which there is some doubt, may be different in Melaniphaes. 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEViT SPECIES OF ASPIDOPHOROIDES (A. 

 GUNTHERII), FROM ALASKA. 



By TARIiETOIV II. BEAN, 



Curator of the Department of Fishes. 



Capt. M. A. Healy's collection, made during the cruise of the United 

 States revenue cutter Thomas Corwin, 1884, contains four specimens of 

 this new species, the largest of which is 53 millimeters {2^^ inches) in 

 length. Lieut. G. M. Stoney also obtained a specimen, and as his is 

 IfM'ger than any of the others I will make it the type of the description. 



The type of the species here described is an example 70 millimeters 

 long (Cat. No. 37032). 



This fish does not bear much resemblance to monopterygiiis and in- 

 ermis. The body is very short and is anteriorly very wide and some- 

 what depressed. The head also is short, triangular, and posteriorly 

 wide. There is also a short barbel at the end of each maxilla. The 

 nasal spines are almost invisible. There are small teeth in the jaws, 

 vomer, and palatines. Along the sides of the head interiorly are four 

 large mucous pores, each situated in an oblong depression, the largest 

 of which is nearly as long as the snout. The maxillary barbel is scarcely 

 one-half as long as the eye, which is one-third the length of the head 

 and considerably more than the width of the interorbital space. The 

 maxilla does not extend much beyond the anterior margin of the orbit. 

 The mandible is barely included ; its length equals that of the eye. The 

 length of the snout equals the width of the interorbital space, which is 

 deeply concave. The greatest depth of the head is not much more than 

 one-half its greatest width. The greatest width of the head over the 

 opercles is contained nearly five times in the total length without cau- 

 dal, and twice in the distance from the origin of the dorsal to the base 

 uf the caudal. The gill-membrane is narrowly attached to the isthmus 

 anteriorly, but the posterior margin is free and the gill-opening is wide. 

 Pseudobranchife well developed. There is a deep groove extending from 

 the occiput and including about the anterior third of the body. The 

 greatest height of the body is one-sixth of the length without caudal, and 

 ihe width over the basis of the pectorals is about one fifth of the same 

 length. The length of the head is contained about 4^ times in the total 

 length without caudal. The pectoral is 2^ times as long as the ventral 

 and one-fourth of the total length without caudal. The ventral is as 



