FISHES COTTIDAE HEMILEPIDOTUS. 



67 



little in advance of the anal fin. These fins are proportionally more developed than in its con 

 gener of the seas of northern Europe, A. lubalis. The insertion of the pectorals is very long, 

 extending almost to the inferior surface, along the branchial aperture, towards the isthmus. 

 These fins are composed of sixteen or seventeen rays, very thick and short inferiorly, with the 

 interradial memhrane emarginated. The tips of the longest rays extend posteriorly to a vertical 

 line drawn across the insertion of the second ray of the second dorsal. 



Br. VI : VI ; D VIII, 12 ; C 4, 1, 4, 5, 1, 5 ; V I, 3 ; P IT. 



The course of the lateral line is occupied by a series of oblong and vertically elongated bony 

 plates, from thirty to thirty-three in number, diminishing gradually in size posteriorly. Ante 

 riorly, the series is contiguous to the humerus, and for the distance occupied by the anterior 

 dorsal it lies upon the dorsal region ; further behind it falls a little towards the flanks, but re 

 mains throughout nearer the dorsal outline. The skin otherwise is perfectly smooth. 



The ground color of the upper regions is dark olive, or brown, dotted, blotched or mottled 

 with jet black. The inferior regions are dull yellow or olive, with crowded meandric, dark 

 streaks under the head, throat, lower part of the flanks, and tail. The ventrals, and generally the 

 anal, are unicolor, like the inferior abdominal region. The anal, however, is sometimes black 

 ish upon its periphery. The ground color of the other fins is yellow or olive, upon which are 

 spread black spots and blotches similar to those distributed over the body. 



Reference to the figure. Plate XV, fig. 1, represents, somewhat reduced, Aspicottus bison, 

 from the bay of San Francisco, California. 



List of specimens. 



HEMILEPIDOTUS, Guv. 



GEN. CHAR. Head rough and prickly, with membranous flaps on various parts ; opercular apparatus spinous. Mouth mode 

 rately cleft ; jaws equal. Teeth upon the premaxillaries, dentaries, front of vomer, and palatines. Gill openings separated 

 beneath by an isthmus ; branchiostegals, six on either side. Dorsal fins contiguous. Caudal rounded or sub-truncated pos 

 teriorly. Insertion of ventrals opposite the base of pectorals. Longitudinal bands of scales alternating with smooth or 

 naked areas ; scales themselves finely denticulated. 



&YX.Hemilepidolus, Cuv. Eegn. Anim. 2d ed. II, 1829. Cuv. & VAL. Hist. nat. Poiss. IV, 1829, 275. STOUEK, Synops. 



1846, 59. GRD. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. I, Philad. VIII, 1856, 134. 

 Calycilepidotus (in part), AYRES, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sc. I, 1855, 76. 



The genus Hemilepidotus was established by Cuvier upon the very characters which we have 

 just endeavored to diagnosticate, and as such it has been adopted by the subsequent writers. 



