1885.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 191 



ON STATHMONOTUS, A NEW GENUS OF FISHES RELATED TO 

 MURiENOIDES, FROM FLORIDA. 



By TARLiETOIV H. BEAX, 



Curator of the Department of Fishes. 



Among the valuable collections of marine animals recently made for 

 the National Miisenm by Mr. Henry Hempbill at Key West, Fla., are 

 two exam])les of a fisb which has a very close superficial resemblance 

 to Murcvnoides, to which it seems to be nearly related. 



The genus Muranoidcs, however, is an inhabitant of northern seas, 

 and, on our eastern coast, has never been recorded even as far to the 

 southward as Cape Hatteras. It is, therefore, a matter of considerable 

 surprise to find a fish of this tyi)e in comparatively shallow water in 

 close proximity to the tropins. 



At first I was inclined to refer the species to the genus Murwnoides, 

 but upon subsequent examination it exhibited characters which fully 

 warrant its separation as a new genus. 



Stathmonotus, new gemis. ( 2 ra5// 7^, a carpenter's rule.) 



The body is moderately long and low, much compressed. The head 

 is small, compressed, naked ; the mouth is small, oblique; conical teeth 

 in both jaws, in two series, the outer of which is slightly enlarged, and 

 in the upper jaw somewhat recurved. There are a few teeth on the 

 vomer. The gill-membranes arc as in Muramoides. Scales, none. No 

 lateral line. The dorsal fin is long and low, beginning near the head, 

 and consisting entirely of stiff, sharp spines, which are very short an- 

 teriorly and very gradually increase in size posteriorly. The anal is 

 similar to the dorsal, and contains two spines and many soft rays. The 

 caudal fin is short, rounded, and scarcely separated from the dorsal and 

 anal. The pectorals are small, much smaller than in Mura'noides, and 

 contain only a few rays. The ventrals are better developed than in 

 Muramoides and their position is more anterior. They consist of a spine 

 and two rays. Pseutlobranchite absent. Branchiostegals, 5. 



Stathmonotus hemphillii, new species. (Plate XIII, Proc. Nat. Mus., 1885.) 



The catalogue number of the type specimens is 37193. 



The end of the maxilla extends about to the vertical through the hind 

 margin of the eye. The jaws are subequal, or the lower projects very 

 slightly beyond the upper. The eyes are small, sei)arated by an inter- 

 space about equal to their own length and very slightly greater than 

 the length of the snout. The eye is about one-sixth as long as the 

 head. The pectoral is very little more than one-fourth as long as the 

 head and scarcely as long as the ventral. 



The greatest height of the body is contained 8 or 8^ times in its 



