JAPANESE LIZARD-FISHES— JORDAN AND HERRE. 521 



Mouth large, slightly oblique, the mandible slightly inferior; teeth 

 in several rows, those of inner row largest, exposed by the narrow, 

 tliin lip; pterygoids, palatines, tongue, and gill arches with bands of 

 fine teeth, those of inner row usually largest; all teeth depressible 

 inward; no teeth on vomer. Gill openings very large, membranes 

 free from isthmus; gill filaments moderately coarse, blunt; pseudo- 

 branchiae numerous, large. Lateral line straight, prominent, and 

 strongly keeled posteriorly. 



Scales of medium size, cycloid; four rows on cheeks, opercles scaled; 

 one or two scales at center of posterior margin of occiput; remainder 

 of head naked. Caudal fm scaled; a long, pointed and very thin 

 scale at axil of pectoral; a long, broad, rounded scale at outer angle 

 of ventral, less than half the length of fin ; at inner angle of fin a large 

 pointed scale, nearly as long as the outer one; dorsal and anal fms 

 each with a basal sheath of elongated, pointed scales. 



Dorsal fin short, high, the second spine about \\ in head, the last 

 spine about \ as long as second ; distance from tip of snout to origin 

 of hrst dorsal equals distance from the latter to posterior margin of 

 base of adipose dorsal; pectoral medium, falling considerably short 

 of a point above origin of ventral, 1^ in head; adipose dorsal very 

 small, inserted above middle of anal; ventrals inserted forward of 

 first dorsal and extending a trifle beyond its posterior margin; anal 

 short, its length little more than \ of head; distance from its origin 

 to base of caudal approximately equals length of head; caudal 

 medium, deeply forked. 



Color in alcohol, dusky brown above lateral line, some scales with 

 paler centers; below, more or less abruptly, silvery yellow; pectorals 

 dorsals, and caudal tipped with blackish; ventrals and anal uniform 

 yellowish. 



Here described from the type. Cat. No. 57847, U. S. Nat. Mus., ISJ 

 inches long, from Wakanoura. We have also examined two cot3rpes 

 from Kobe and one from Tsuruga, Nos. 20161 and 20162, Stanford 

 University. 



This is the largest species in the group. It differs from Saurida 

 argyrophanes in the comparative proportions of the pectoral fin, and 

 of the outer axillary ventral scale, in the greater breath of the head, 

 and especially in the greater number of scales in the lateral line, the 

 larger adipose eyelid, and in the absence of the marked occipital 

 depression. 



Saurida tumbil Cuvier has been recorded from Japan by Bleeker, 

 but doubtless S. eso has been mistaken for it. Saurida tumhil of the 

 East Indies has the adipose eyelid small, the scales 60, and the back 

 barred with blackish. 



{Eso, Japanese name of the species of Syiiodus and Saurida.) 



