70 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE XATIOXAL MUSEUM. 



VOL. XXXII. 



small black spot on base; pectoral very dark l>lue, above, black on 

 inner surface, silver}' g-ra^yish blue on outer surface. 



This species has been occasionall}' taken on the hook in the last two 

 years about Avalon. It was first noticed as a California fish b}^ Doc- 

 tor Holder. 



GYMNOSARDA PELAMIS (Linnaeus). 



This species, the "Oceanic Bonito,'' is frequently taken about Santa 

 Catalina and San Diesfo. It is common in Hawaii and Japan. 



Family LEPIDOPID^E. 



LEPIDOPUS XANTUSI Goode and Bean. 



One specimen, 2^ feet long, from Avalon. 



Head 4^ in length. Depth at front of dorsal 2| in head; eye 5f ; 

 snout 2-r\; maxillary 2;^; dorsal rays 80; anal I, 46. 



Body long and slender, tapering to a ver}' narrow caudal peduncle. 

 Head deeper than the body. Upper profile of head nearly straight 

 from front of dorsal to premaxillary processes, where the outline is 



Fig. 4. — LEPIDOPUS XANTUSI, 



angulated and descends obliquely; supraor))ital rim slightly promi- 

 nent. Gape rather strongly curved; lower jaw projecting and hooked 

 upward at its tip. A single row of sharp flattened teeth at edge of 

 jaws, growing smaller anteriorl}"; near front of upper jaw are two 

 pairs of long sharp dagger-shaped canines, a little inside of the smaller 

 lateral teeth. Maxillary extending nearly to front of pupil; its pos- 

 terior part almost entirely concealed by the preorbital. Interorl)ital 

 space concave at its middle portion; the outer edges nearly flat; its 

 width three-iifths of diameter of orbit. Skin of side of head continu- 

 ous over preopercle. Gillrakers slender, stifle, and needle-like; the 

 length of the longest a little less than that of the canines, their num- 

 ber 9+11; some of them interspaced by much smaller ones (not 

 included in the above count). 



Origin of dorsal from tip of snout equal to distance from tip of man- 

 dible to edge of preopercle; longest 'lorsal raj^s inserted about the 

 head's length behind head, contained live times in head. Anterior 

 'anal rays covered b}' the skin, the posterior rays shorter than the dor- 



