﻿NEW FISHES OF GENUS CIRRHITUS — SCHULTZ 549 



space (bony) 6.6 to 6.8; least suborbital width 6.3 to 7.1; all in the 

 length of the head. Least depth of caudal peduncle in its length (base 

 of last anal ray to midbase of caudal fin) 2.5 to 2.7. Bony interorbital 

 space 1.4 in eye. 



Greatest depth opposite pelvic insertions; head blunt, profile of 

 snout steep ; interorbital space concave, orbital ridge low, gill mem- 

 branes broadly joined across istlmaus, free, without scales; maxillary 

 concealed anteriorly by preorbital; lips thick, the lower one very 

 broad, about one-half eye; lower jaw slightly shorter than upper, 

 mouth a little oblique ; cheeks with fine embedded scales, those behind 

 eye larger; nostrils separated by a dermal isthmus, rear margin of 

 anterior nostril with a tuft of dermal cirri ; posterior tips of dorsal 

 spines, each with a tuft of dermal cirri ; no accessory pelvic scale ; scales 

 cycloid, absent on snout and dorsal surface of head ; vomer with the 

 usual triangular-shaped patch of villif orm teeth ; palatines with a few 

 tiny teeth anteriorly; jaws with a band of villif orm teeth, broadest 

 anteriorly along outer margin of which are some enlarged conical 

 teeth, caninelike ; lateral line complete ; pelvic insertion behind base of 

 pectoral under base of fourth dorsal spine; basally pectoral, dorsal, 

 anal, soft rays, covered with scales of somewhat smaller size than on 

 body ; second simple lower pectoral ray longest ; usually, fourth dorsal 

 spine longest ; rear margin of caudal fin very slightly rounded ; upper 

 and lower rays of caudal fin of about same length; posterior margin 

 of preopercle finely denticulate. 



Color in alcohol. — Background coloration brown with traces of five 

 vertical dark-brown bars, separated by paler interspaces; upper edge 

 of caudal peduncle with last bar intensified to form a dark blotch, 

 then pale interspace with a dark spot at base of upper caudal rays; 

 body with numerous tiny white or silvery specks ; these occurring on 

 basal half of pectoral fin, rather faint on caudal, absent on belly, but 

 present on ventral side of head ; pelvics dusky. 



Remarks. — This new species may be distinguished from all others 

 referred to the genus Girrhitus by the presence of the tiny white specks ; 

 also it has low orbital ridges but no ridge extending posteriorly 

 from dorsal edge of eye, as in C. nigropunctatus. 



CIRRHITUS NIGROPUNCTATUS, new species 



Plate 13, B 



Holotype.—U.^.'^.'M.. No. 13218, Mauritius Island, 1872-3, Col. N. 

 Pike. 



Paratypes.—V.S.'^.'M.. No. 149584, Mauritius Island, 1872-3, Col. N. 

 Pike. 



