NO. 1544. JAPANESE LIZARD-FISHES— JORDAN AND IIERRE. 523 



nostrils close together, the anterior one small, covered by a fleshy 

 flap; posterior nostril large, open; 2 or 3 minute pores between 

 anterior nostril and tip of snout; top of head with 2 lateral and 1 

 median broad muciferous channel; mouth very large; the lower jaw 

 strongly projecting; lips narrow, exposing the teeth; these arranged 

 in two or tlu'ee rows, recurved, de})ressible inward, straight, arrow- 

 shaped or with a single barb at posterior margin of the point; teeth 

 of inner row largest. Bands of unequal, recurved, inwardly depres- 

 sible teeth also on tongue, inner side of gill arches, and palatines, 

 the last having two bands. Gill openings very large, membranes 

 free from isthmus; gill filaments rather short, moderatel}^ coarse; 

 pseudobranchias small, few in number. Lateral line straight, 

 formed of elongate, thin, pointed scales; a pore above and below 

 each scale. 



Scales small, cycloid, on posterior portion of body, extending 

 forward to ventrals on belly, but above the lateral line ceasing at 

 posterior end of depressed dorsal. Basal portion of adipose dorsal 



^'^ 



Fig. 2.— Harpodon mkrochir. 



scaled. Remainder of body naked except for a row of minute scales 

 on either side of lateral line. 



Dorsal fin short, moderately high; the third spine highest, from 6^ 

 to 7 in total length ; distance from tip of snout to origin of first dorsal 

 equal to, or slightly greater than, distance from the latter point to 

 posterior margin of depressed adi]:)ose dorsal; pectoral small, its 

 length about 2j in head; adipose dorsal small, inserted over middle 

 of anal; ventrals inserted just forward of first dorsal and extending 

 posteriorly beyond insertion of dorsal; anal moderate, its length 

 variable, in some s])ecimens longer and in others shorter than dorsal; 

 caudal medium, .of three pointed lobes, the central one much the 

 smallest. 



Color, translucent brownish, in spirits, dusky above, becoming 

 brownish or yelhnvish laterally; throat, belly, and lower part of head 

 silvery gray with a pinkish suft'usion. Pectorals black; ventrals and 

 anal whitish or yellow ; dorsal and caudal dusky or blackish. 



We have examined twelve specimens of this singular and rare fish, 

 ranging in length from IH inches to 16 inches. They were taken in 



