DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SKATE (DACTYLOBATUS 

 AKMATUS) FROM DEEP WATER OFF THE SOUTHERN 

 ATLANTIC COAST OF THE UNITED STATES. 



By Barton A. Bkan and Alfred C. Wkkd, 



Of the Divisidii of Fishes, U. ^. NatioiKil Miiscinn. 



Among the fishes collected by the Bureau of Fisheries steamer 

 Albatross in deep water off Charleston, South Carolina, during 1885 

 and 188G were a male and female specimen of skate, closely allied 

 to Raja but differing greatly from this genus in having the middle 

 rays of the pectorals very much produced. This genus may be called 

 Dactylohatus in allusion to the finger-like processes of the pectorals. 



DACTYLOBATUS Bean and Weed, new genus. 



Disk subcircular, not rhombic as in Raja; middle rays of the 

 pectorals produced as a finger-like process on each side ; dorsal 

 surface armed with spines and prickles but apparently without the 

 patch of differentiated spines near the outer edge of the pectorals 

 that is found in the males of Raja; tail abruptly marked off from 

 the disk as in Raja^ not tapering gradually as in Rhinohatus and 

 Narcine; tail armed with spines and prickles on the dorsal surface 

 and with a rather wide dermal flap on each side; two dorsal fins 

 near the end of the tail ; a rudimentary caudal fin present. 



Type of genus. — Dactylohatus armatus. 



DACTYLOBATUS ARMATUS Bean and Weed, new species. 



Disk nearly circular, with the snout slightly projecting and with 

 about six or seven of the middle pectoral rays produced to form 

 a finger-like or flap-like process, armed on the ventral surface Avith 

 a double row of sharp, hooked spines having their points directed 

 toward the meson. This armament is continued forward along 

 the edges of the disk, nearly to the snout; middle line of back and 

 tail with a single row of enlarged hooked spines with a row of smaller 

 ones on each side of it. A single large blunt spine on each shoulder 

 and a row of five on each orbital ridge; rest of the dorsal surface 

 and the dorsal fins sparsely covered with fine prickles. 



Color in alcohol, ashy with large black spots which coalesce to form 

 blotches of various sizes and shapes; the belly white, clouded with 



Proceedinqs U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXXVI— No. 1682, 



459 



