428 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
71. Triglops scepticus sp. nov. (Plate 28.) 
Very closely related to 7. beani and T. pingeli, but different in the following 
respects: The eye is much larger, the snout shorter, and the maxillary shorter and 
broader. The maxillary bone and the lower half of cheeks are invested with — 
prickles, not naked. The lower thickened portion of pectoral fin is produced to form — 
alobe. The scales on the upper half of the body are much coarser. The dorsal 
series of enlarged prickles is much less conspicuous. The lateral folds are much 
more numerous, averaging about four to one pore of the lateral line, reaching to or 
nearly to the anal fin and encircling the caudal peduncle below. The ventral fins — 
are much narrower and nearer together. The lateral line has a much more pro-— 
nounced upward curve over the base of the pectorals. A short, high occipital ridge 
is present, but does not terminate in a distinct spine. (Occipital ridge obsolete in 
T. beani, a bare trace of it sometimes visible.) 
Dorsal, x1, 21 to 23; anal, 22 to 24; pectoral, 19 (18 on left side in two specimens) ; 
ventral I, 3; caudal with 12 fully developed rays; lateral line, 46 or 47; branchios-— 
tegals, 6. 
Body very robust, the upper profile descending rapidly from front of dorsal ina 
regular curve to tip of the short snout. Depth, 5; to 53 in length. Least depth of 
caudal peduncle, 44 to 4? in its length from base of last anal ray. 
Head of moderate length, 34 to 3} in body; its width is 14 to 2 in its length. 
Maxillary reaching to or nearly to vertical from middle of pupil, 2} to 24 in head. | 
Mandible slightly projecting. Teeth on jaws and vomer, none on palatines. Two 
blunt spines on occiput. Eye very large, 1} times the interorbital width and 24 in 
head. Preopercle armed with five small spinous points, the upper one pointing’ 
upward and backward, the second and third backward, and the lower two pointing 
forward. Opercle ending ina triangular spine. Branchiostegal membranes broadly 
united, free from the isthmus posteriorly. 
The upper part of the body and the top and sides of head, including all of cheeks, 
the lower, anterior, and upper parts of eye, and exposed portion of the maxillary, 
thickly covered with prickly plates. These are much larger, more spinous and scale- 
like than in 7. pingeli, and are on sides loosely arranged in series. Spines and rays 
of dorsal, caudal, and pectoral fins, covered with series of prickles nearly to their 
tips, except the lower thickened rays of pectorals, which are naked. A row of 
enlarged plate-like scales along the lateral line, becoming very indistinct posteri-— 
orly. They are more numerous and less distinct than in 7. pingeli, 38 in number to 
opposite the last ray of second dorsal. A similar series along the base of dorsal fins | 
ending opposite the posterior part of second dorsal. The lower half of the body is 
crossed at short intervals by transverse undulating folds of skin, about 180 in num-— 
ber, the edge of each fold with small rough scales, causing it to appear sharply and 
finely serrate. These scales are much larger and more spinous than in 7, pingeli and 
those of successive folds meet and overlap. The folds reach from the lateral line 
quite to the anal fin, and behind the anal completely encircle the caudal peduncle. 
In 7. pingeli the space along the anal and the lower sides of caudal peduncle is. 
naked. : 
Dorsal fins not connect»d, the membrane from last dorsal spine connecting with | 
extreme base of first soft ray. Spinous dorsal higher than soft dorsal; the dorsal 
spines contained 2} times in length of head. Raysand spines slender. Base of anal 
equal in length to that of second dorsal, a little more than one-third length of body. 
Caudal truncate, with a number of short auxiliary rays above and below, and 
12 fully developed rays, each of which is twice bifurcate. Pectorals reaching 
beyond front of anal, the longest ray 14 to 1? in length of head. The lower rays’ 
are enlarged and exserted, forming a distinct lobe, some of the rays of which are 
longer than upper part of the fin. Ventrals reaching beyond vent, very narrow at 
base, inserted close together, the outer ray not provided with the broad membranous - 
flap present in 7. pingeli. 
