NO. 1510. 



SANTA CATALINA FISHES— .TORD AX AND STAUKS 



75 



the body. The .slender spines and thin, soft nienihranes of the dorsal 

 resemble in texture the pectoral tins of Ccplmlnvunthii^^. Anal a very 

 little lower than the dorsal and posteriorly connected with the caudal. 

 Caudal rather short and ]>roadly rounded, without an angle at tips of 

 outer rays. Pectoral rounded, its rays simple; its length from 2^ to 

 2i in head; ventral with one spine and three rays; the middle ray the 

 longest, as long as distance from tip of snout to middle of ej^e or some- 

 times a little longer; the first ray somewhat shorter, and the third ray 

 very slender and closely attached to the second ray which is fully three 

 times longer; it is inconspicuous and might easily be overlooked. 



Color in spirits, light grayish brown, with eleven dark l)rown short 

 crossbars or l)lotches on the middle of the side fading out above and 

 below; some of the anterior ])lotches more or less separated into two 

 spots; sides with or without small round light spots, irregular in size 

 and bordered with dusky color slightly darker than the surrounding- 

 color, small dusky spots of irregular size on top of head and smaller 

 sharper dark spots along back (these onl}^ conspicuous on the largest 

 specimen). Ventral tins and branchiostegal membrane of female slightly 



Fii;. 7.— Ch.knopsis alepiihita. 



dusky; those of male, coal black, with bluish retlections; pectoral 

 slightly dusky in both sexes. Spinous dorsal of female light with a 

 few dusky l)ands across the rays; soft dorsal similarly marked, but the 

 cross lines more numerous and closer together; the color fading out 

 posteriorly and the fin nearly' colorless; a small black spot ocellated 

 with a light ring between the first and second spines; anal and caudal 

 colorless. Spinous dorsal of male coal black; soft dorsal growing- 

 black toward outer edge, with a narrow border of colorless membrane 

 and rather thickly covered with small round light spots; caudal dusky 

 with similar spots; anal growing black toward ends of rays like the 

 soft dorsal, but un.spotted. 



The following notes are by 'Miss Lauderbach, from whom the 

 specimens were obtained: 



The largest specimen was caught from the end of the wharf at 

 Avalon with hook and line. When in the aquarium it snapped 

 viciously at every approaching hand. In swimming the body was 

 flexible and eel-like. A favorite movement was to squirm backward 

 into small crevices between the rocks, leaving only the mouth at the 

 entrance. It repeatedl}' jumped from the tank. 



