640 PliOCEEDINliS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



ACROTUS WILLOUGHBYI Bean. 



In March, 1898, Mr. J. O. Cates, of Port Townsend, Washington, tele- 

 graphed tlie Smithsonian Institution of the discovery upon the beach of 

 a strange fish, which lie thought Avas an Acrotiis. In answer to a tele- 

 gram from the U. S. National Museum Mr. Cates forwarded the fish in 

 ice, through the Seattle Fish Company. The specimen reached here 

 in fair condition and the writer obtained the following measurements 

 and notes : 



Length to end ol' niidillo caudal rays fe(^t.. 5 



Greatest li<'i"-ht of body inches.. 15 



Length of head do 8 



Width of iuteiorbital iirea do 8 



Diameter of orbit (mciisurouieiit doubtful) do 1^ 



Dorsal from Huout (origin doubtful) do 18 



Dorsal base, length of do 29 



Dorsal, greatest height (longest rays) do If 



Anal, origin from snout do 25 



Anal, length of base do 21 



Anal, length of longest rays do If 



Caudal, length of middle rays do 4J- 



Caudfil, length of lower external rays do 10 



Caudal, length of upper external rays ,. do 9 



Pectoral base from snout do 9 



Pectoral, length of do 7^ 



Pectoral, width of base of do 2^; 



Caudal peduncle, length of do 6.V 



Caudal peduncle tapering from 3f to '.i^ inches in height. 



]). 38 or 40; A. 34 or 35; P. 21; C. 36; B. 6. Gills 4, with an open- 

 ing behind the fourth; gill-rakers seven to ten. The eye is contained 

 seven times in the length of the head. 



The dorsal and anal fins end opposite each other; the last ray of the 

 dorsal is contained two and a half times in the longest rays (middle of 

 fin) ; the last ray of the anal about two times in the longest rays. Lower 

 lobe of caudal longer than the upper. 



Color. — Uniform chocolate brown, with purplish cast; pinkish where 

 skin had been rubbed off; fins darker. 



From a plaster mold pre[)ared by Mr. William J?almer a very good 

 cast was obtained. The fish has been preserved in alcohol. No. 48872, 

 U.S.N.M. 



First described by Dr. T. H, Bean.' Made the type of a distinct 

 family by Dr. Theodore Gill.^ 



' Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1887, p. (531. 

 - Oceanic Ichthyology, p. 217, tig. 225. 



