124 NEW FISHES FROM PACIFIC COAST ^^GILBERT. 



D. 111-117; A. 96 98. Vertebra? 14 + 49. 



Body oval, very deep and thin, the greatest depth at anterior third 

 of body ; upper profile very abruptly augulated opposite hinder margin 

 of upper pupil, the anterior half of head conspicuously protruding be- 

 yond general outline. Caudal nearly sessile, the peduncle very short. 



Mouth small, maxillary about one-fifth length of head in specimens 1 

 foot long. Teeth broad incisors, slightly notched at tip, nearly equally 

 developed on blind and colored sides, twenty-one on blind side of lower 

 jaw, sixteen on colored side. As in other members of this group, the 

 lower jaw is the longer, the upper teeth included, 



Interorbital space wholly scaled, with a very high, rather sharp /-*w/- 

 shaped ridge. 



Eyes very large, the upper entering largely the up])er profile, the 

 lower much in advance; front margin of upper orbit on vertical of front 

 of lower pupil; diameter of upper eye i^f to 2| in head. 



Anterior nostrils of both sides in rather long tubes, the posterior 

 margins of which are produced to form short flaps. 



Preopercular margins aduate as usual, concealed by scales. No con- 

 spicuous mucous excavations on blind side. 



Gill rakers weak and rather short, ten or eleven on anterior limb of 

 arch. 



Scales very small, cycloid, in about one hundred and sixty-five cross- 

 rows, the tubes of lateral line much fewer, not regularly arranged. 

 Over fifty longitudinal rows above lateral line. 



Dorsal beginning over posterior edge of pupil. Fins low, the high- 

 est dorsal rays behind middle of body, two-fifths length of head. 



Caudal rounded, two-thirds length of head. Pectorals one-half head. 



Ventrals small, each with five rays, as in C. jtacijicus, the number 

 being probably characteristic for the genus. Glyptocephahis cyiioglossiis 

 and zachirus have six rays in each ventral. 



Head 4 to 4? in length ; depth 2 to 2^. 



Color of eyed side warm brown, darker toward margins, becoming 

 black on vertical fins ; everywhere on body and fins coarsely blotched 

 with light blue, the marks so arranged on upper and lower thirds of 

 sides as to form five broad bars of bluish, alternating with those of 

 the ground color, and corresponding above and below. Lips and 

 branchiostegal membranes black. Blind side dusky brownish. 



Two specimens from the Santa Barbara Channel, taken at a depth of 

 603 fathoms. Station 2980. 



91. Halieutaea spongiosa sp. dov. 



This species is remarkable for the soft, spongy texture of the body, 

 and the membranous or cartilaginous character of its bones. 



Width of head li in its length. Tail long and slender, the vent 

 midway between base of caudal and articulation of mandible. Width 

 of base of tail 4^ in its length. Mouth little or not at all overpassed 



