344 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



7. Stolephorus miarchus, sp. iiov. (28119.) 



A slender species, distinguished by the very small anal fin. Known 

 to us ifrom immature specimens only. 



Body very slender, not strongly compressed (perhaps becoming 

 deeper with age) ; belly not trenchant. Snout sub-conic, compressed. 

 Teeth rather large, distinct in both jaws ; maxillary reaching to edge of 

 preopercle. Lower jaw much overlapped by the snout, its tip extending 

 little in front of the eye, which is not especially large. 



Insertion of dorsal fin midway between snout and caudal ; anal fin 

 extremely short, its first ray inserted under last of dorsal, the length of 

 its base less than that of the caudal peduncle behind it. Scales lost. 



Color perfectly translucent in life, with a diffuse silvery lateral shade, 

 but no distinct stripe ; clusters of dark points on occiput ; base of cau- 

 dal with dark markings above and below formed of dark points ; the 

 entire fin speckled; a small black streak on each side of ventrals; black 

 points at the base of each fin ray. 



Head, 4| in length ; depth, 6. 



Dorsal with about 12 rays (11 to 13) ; anal, 12 to 14. 



This species is known to us from eight specimens (28119 TJ. S. Isat. 

 Mus.), the largest If inches in length, killed by dynamite cartridges 

 in deep water in the harbor of Mazatlan, where they were exceedingly 

 abundant. They are, of course, immature, but the species to which 

 they belong will be known from all others by the short anal. 



8. Synodus scituliceps, sp. uov. (28392,29449.) 



Allied to S. foetens L., but with a much smaller head. 



Body slender, subterete, less depressed than in S. f ceteris. Head very 

 short and slender, its length above not greater than greatest depth of 

 body. Snout pointed, triangular, about as broa:d as long. Interorbital 

 space slightly concave, about as broad as eye ; a longitudinal ridge on 

 each side of its middle, which sends out radiating branches opposite 

 posterior part of eye; preopercle somewhat raised above eye, its margin 

 somewhat serrate; maxillaiy extending much beyond orbit, its length If 

 in head; lower jaw a trifle shorter than ujjper, its symphyseal knob 

 scarcely included. Teeth essentially as in S.f ceteris, the bauds, perhaps, 

 a little narrower; palatine teeth forming a very narrow band, which 

 becomes posteriorly a single series. Gill-rakers undeveloped. Branchi- 

 ostegals, 14. Cheeks with four rows of large scales; opercles with four. 



Distance from origin of dorsal fin to adipose fin equal to the distance 

 €rom the former to the middle of orbit; origin of dorsal nearer to end 

 of snout than to base of caudal by a distance equal to | head. 



Dorsal fin much higher than long, the first and last rays coterminous 

 when the tin is deflexed. Caudal well forked, the upper lobe the longer, 

 1^ in head; the middle rays scarcely more than one third the length of 

 the outer. Yentral fins long and pointed, their length scarcely more 

 than half the distance from their base to front of anal, 1| in head. 



