N0.1681. FISHES OF JAPAN— JORDAN AND lUCHABDSON. (')r)9 



above brief description, which is condensed from that of Jordan and 

 Starks, are sufficient for its recognition. 



(Vyt^z, half; (jtiktos, speckled.) 



A single specimen, from Misaki or Awa, S inches, (^at. No. 56482, 

 U.S.N.M. 



Family PERISTEDIID.E. 



Body elongate, fusiform, covered with bony plates, each of which 

 is armed with a strong spine; head bony; each preorbital produced 

 into a long, flat process, which projects more or less beyond the 

 mouth; mouth small, inferior, like that of a sturgeon; teeth none; 

 lower jaw provided with barbels; gill membranes separate, narrowly 

 joined to the isthmus anteriorly; gill rakers slender; dorsal fin con- 

 tinuous or divided; pectoral fin short, with the 2 lower-most rays 

 detached; ventrals I, 5, separated by a broad, flat area; air bladder 

 simple; pyloric caeca about 10; color generally red. Deep-sea fishes, 

 bearing some resemblance to young sturgeons. 



Two genera, with about a dozen species. Mediterranean, tropical 

 Atlantic, East Indian, and Chinese and Japanese seas. One genus 

 and 3 species known from Japan. 



11. PERISTEDION Lacepede. 



Peristedion Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., Ill, 1802. p. .368 (inalannat=catapirac- 



tum). 

 Peristethus Kaup, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1859, p. 103 (cataphrartas); amended 



spelling. 



Barbels large, forming large fringed tufts at angles of mouth and on 

 lower jaw; dorsal fins 2; characters otherwise included above. 



(Iispi, around; (jryBiov^ diminutive of (JTrjHoc;^ breast; the lu-east 

 being mailed.) 



Three species known from the waters of Japan. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



a. No spine above muzzle or in middle of forehead; caudal peduncle with 2 series of 



plates underneath. 



h. Dorsal VIII-20; anal 20; head narrow, its width 2.2 in its length; nasal processes 



3.75 to 4.25 in head; longest barbel less than one-third of head; preopercular 



angle blunt, without spine; color reddish brown, the back with conspicuous 



blackish vermiculations; pectorals with 2 or 3 black cross liars; spinous dorsal 



edges with black orientale, 20 



bb. Dorsal VI-20; anal 22; head broad, its width 3.25 in the length to base of caudal; 



nasal processes 6.5; short; longest barbel two-thiixls of head; preopercular 



shield ending behind in a long spine; color brownish (probably red in life), 



without black spots or marb lings; pectoral and spinous dorsal black. amiscus, 21 



aa. A single spine in middle of forehead; under side of caudal peduncle with 4 series 



of plates; D.VI-19; A. 17; head, back, and sides with small round dots: spines 



and rays of dorsals dotted with brown neffeli, 22 



