FISHES OF NEW YORK 541 



bands on jaws, vomer, and palatines; preopercle crescent- 

 shaped, without angle or serratures, but provided with two or 

 three spinous hooks on the posterior margin; opercle with two 

 or three spines; gill rakers short. Branchiostegals 7. Dorsal 

 fins separate, the first of two or three (rarely four) small spines, 

 the second of many (about 25) soft rays; anal long, rounded, of 

 soft rays only; caudal rounded; pectorals rounded, nearly 

 symmetrical, of 17 rays; ventrals small, I, 5, inserted slightly 

 before pectorals, the spine short and strong. Vertebrae 

 1(H14 24. Skeleton generally similar to that of Epineph- 

 e 1 u s . 



Subgenus I'ROMICROPTERUS Gill 



266 Rypticus bistrispiims (Mitchill) 

 So&pfish 



Bodianus bislrispinus MITCKILL, Am. Month. Mag. II. 247, February, 1818, 



Bahamas. 

 KJiyirticus maculaius HOLBROOK, Ichth. S. C. ed. 1. 39, pi. 6. fig. 2. 1856: ed. 2, 



42, 1860, Cape Romain S. C.; GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. L 173, 



1859; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 543, 1883. 

 Rlil/l)ticus decoratus JORDAN & GILBERT, op. cit. 543, 1883. 

 Ryptieus bistrispinus JORDAN & EIGENMA.NN. Bull. U. S. F. C. VIII, 338, 18LK); 



JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1233, 1896, pi. CXCIV, 



fig. 509, 1900. 



This species has a moderately deep body, its depth greater 

 than the length of the head, specially in the adult in which the 

 back 'is considerably elevated; profile of head much depressed 

 before eye, the sharp snout abruptly projecting. The length of 

 the head is one third of the standard body length; the depth of 

 body is contained from two and one third to two and two thirds 

 times in its length; the eye in adult nearly as long as snout, its 

 length contained five and one half times in length of head; 

 maxillary three sevenths as long as the head, reaching to below 

 posterior margin of eye; preopercle with only two developed 

 spines, the uppermost usually wholly wanting; the median spine 

 often divided, the lower one largest and directed partly down- 

 ward; opercular spine small; first dorsal spine a little lower 

 than second, which is nearly or quite free from the soft rays; 

 gill rakers short and thick, close set, eight to 10 in number. 

 D, II, 25; A. 14 or 15. 



