N0.1263. JAPAHESE TRACHINOID FISHES— JORDAN AND SNYDER. 481 
fourth; suborbitals not dilated; lateral lines 2, the lower curved 
upward over pectoral; both with lateral vertical branches; the cross 
rows of tubes on the back more conspicuous than the lateral lines; 
dorsal tins 2, the first short, the second long, similar to anal; pectoral 
small and narrow, placed high; ventrals I, 5, the middle rays longest, 
inserted before pectorals, but joined to the shoulder girdle by ligament 
only; caudal forked. 
Oti'shore fishes of the coasts of Asia. 
{Xocfxipai^ crocodile; odovg^ tooth.) 
i6. CHAMPSODON VORAX Giinther. 
Champsodon vorax Gv^TYi-ER, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1867, p. 102; Shore Fishes, 
Challenger, 1880, ]). 52, pi. xxiii, fig. a; Philippines, Nares Bay, Admiralty 
Islands, Arafura Sea, Ki Islands; Deep Sea Fishes, Challenger, jj. 49; Coast 
of Japan, Philippines, etc. — Alcock, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 1889, p. 381; 
Bay of Bengal. — Goode and Bean, Oceanic Ichthyology, p. 291. 
Head 3| in length, depth 5i; depth of caudal peduncle 4^ in head; 
eye 4i; snout 3t; interorbital space 6i, D. V., 20; A. 19 
Body rather elongate, fusiform in outline, compressed laterally, the 
caudal peduncle rather narrow. Head large, about as deep as bod}^ 
the top flat, the sides vertical. Eye placed high in head, directed 
obliquely upward; interorbital space narrow, concave. Snout slightly 
longer than diameter of eye. Mouth oblique, the lower jaw project- 
ing, the upper with a double notch at the tip; maxillary extending 
past eye a distance equal to half the diameter of eye. Teeth long, 
slender, curved, in two series, the inner ones much enlarged; a small 
cluster of slender teeth on each side of vomer; none on the palatines; 
basi-branchials and upper and lower pharyngeals with teeth. Gill 
rakers, long, slender, pointed, 2 + 10 on first arch. Upper part of 
head with 2 small bony ridges extending from snout along upper border 
of eyes, diverging on occiput and ending in a spine on each side at 
upper edge of gill opening; preopercle with a slender, surved, knife- 
like spine at its angle; below this 2 or 3 small spines; upper limb of 
preopercle with minute spines; opercle ending in a soft ciliated flap; 
preorbital broad, with a strong, three-lobed spine. A small cilium 
on upper part of Qyo,. 
Bod}^ covered with small, very rough, scarcely imbricate scales, 
except on ])elly, where there is a naked area; head completely scaled 
except edge of opercle. Two lateral lines, both with vertical branches. 
Dorsal spines slender, weak, the first highest, about 3 in head, the 
others graduall}" lower. Anal inserted below third dorsal ray, the fin 
when depressed extending as far posteriorly as the dorsal, just reaching 
base of caudal. Caudal fin deeply notched. Pectorals small, their 
length about 2^ in head. Ventrals pointed, 1^ in head. 
Color dark steel blue above, sides silvery, mottled with darker, tip 
Proc. N. M. vol. xxiv— 01 31 
