NEW SPECIES OF RIBBON FISH. I45 



head; ventrals inserted just below axil of pectorals, 

 filamentous, about half longer than head; pectorals ^5 

 longer than eye; caudal rays simple to near tip, where is 

 sometimes a single fork, the longest filamentous rays about 

 three times length of head. Dorsal fin much lower than 

 the body, the longest rays of the second dorsal nearly 2^ 

 length of head ; a series of spinules along the base of the 

 dorsal, one pair for each ray. 



Lateral Hne well developed, with a series of small in- 

 conspicuous plates, each of which has a minute central 

 prickle. Lower part of the body thickly beset with 

 small spinous tubercles; rest of the skin naked; rays of 

 all the fins accompanied by a series of small prickles. 



Coloration everywhere bright metallic silvery, an ob- 

 long jet black blotch a Httle longer than the eye lying 

 close along the base of the dorsal and beginning 1% di- 

 ameters of the eye behind the eye; three larger spots 

 dusky but not black lying behind this along the side be- 

 tween the lateral line and the dorsal fin; two smaller 

 dusky spots on the belly, the one just behind the base of 

 the ventrals, the other under the second of the four spots 

 of the back. These spots, except the first one mention- 

 ed, are all diffuse and are a little less than twice the di- 

 ameter of the eye in length and about twice as long as 

 deep. Anterior profile below crest, including front of 

 snout and tip of mandible, jet black. Caudal and ven- 

 tral fins carmine red in life; other fins unmarked. 



This species bears some resemblance to Trachyf terns 

 altivcUs described by Kner from Valparaiso. The latter 

 species has, however, the nuchal crest much lower and 

 farther back, the first dorsal and the ventrals much low- 

 er, the second dorsal fin higher, the skin rougher, the 

 four black spots different in size and position from those 

 found in our specimen, and the caudal rays divided near 



2d Ser., Vol. IV. < iq ) May 9, 1894. 



