Dr. A. Giinther on new Reptiles and Fishes. 139 



PSETJDOCHROMIS PERSPICILLATUS. 



D. §- 5 . A. i. L. lat. 45. 



Reddish-olive (in spirits), with a chestnut-brown band running 

 from the extremity of the upper jaw through the middle of the eye 

 to the middle of the base of the dorsal fin ; the band is very dark 

 and slender anteriorly, gradually becoming lighter and broader poste- 

 riorly. 



China. 



Description. — The height of the body equals the length of the 

 head, and is contained thrice and a third in the total (without caudal). 

 Head longer than high ; cleft of the mouth oblique, with the jaws 

 subequal anteriorly, and with the maxillary extending to behind the 

 vertical from the front margin of the orbit. Snout a little longer 

 than the orbit, the diameter of which is one-fourth of the length of 

 the head. The width of the interorbital space, which is scaly, is less 

 than that of the orbit. The lower jaw with two, the upper with 

 three pairs of canine teeth. Scales on the cheek in six series. 

 Caudal fin subtruncated, with an upper and lower ray produced into 

 a filament. 



Several specimens are in the collection of the British Museum ; 

 one of the largest is 42 lines long. 



Amblyopus sagitta. 



D i A 1 

 u - 2i- A - To' 



The height of the body is one-twelfth of the total length ; vertical 

 fins united ; caudal very long, arrow-shaped ; teeth small, in a single 

 series ; eyes rudimentary. 



California. 



Description. — Body elongate, compressed, covered with small, im- 

 bricate, cycloid scales, which become larger posteriorly. Head elon- 

 gate, subquadrangular, one-seventh of the total length (with the 

 caudal), and two-thirds of the distance between the vent and the base 

 of the ventral fin. Teeth very small, subhorizontal, in a single series. 

 Cleft of the mouth oblique, rather wide, the maxillary extending to 

 behind the eye ; lower jaw prominent ; eye very small. Ventral 

 fins confluent ; caudal arrow-shaped, nearly one-fifth of the total. 

 Pectoral as long as the ventral, and half as long as the head. Upper 

 parts grey, lateral and lower silvery ; an ovate grey spot before each 

 dorsal ray ; caudal grey. 



Four specimens of this fish have been procured for the British 

 Museum. The largest of them is 9 1 inches long. 



This is the most aberrant form of the genus Amblyopus ; although 

 closely allied to A. Broussonetii, it differs in its more feeble dentition 

 and in its larger scales. A. Broussonetii has 11/16 vertebrae, A. sa- 

 gitta 1 1/20. If the genus Gobioicles of Lacepede be adopted, another 

 must be created for A. sagitta, and the sections may be arranged as 

 follows : — 



10* 



