FAMILY EOPHID^ — MALTH^EA^^ 167 



THE DOTTED MALTHEA. 



- MaLTH^A NOtATA. 



La MaUhce a stigmatts. Cuv. and Val. Hist, des Poiss. V'oL 12, [v. 453. 



Characteristics. Three or four round black spots on each side of the spine, midway betweea 

 the e3'e and branchial orifice. Length 3 J inches. 



Description. Snout in its proportions resembling the preceding. Margin of the preopercle 

 enlarged as much as in M. vespertilio. Scaly disks neither so numerous nor so prominent. 

 Length, 3-5. 

 This small species was sent from New- York to Cuvier. I have not met with it. 



THE BAT MALTHEA. 



Malthjea tespertilio. 



Diablo. Parra, Descripcion de dif. piezas, &c. p. 5, pi. 4. 



La Maltliie vespcrtiUm. Cuv. et Val. Hist, des Poiss. VoL 12, p. 440 



Characteristics. Snout elongated into a point. Skin like" shagreen, with scattering long 

 tubercles. Length 10- 18 inches. 



Description. Body flattened. Snout pointed, and about the tenth of the total length. Width 

 at the preopercles equal to its length, which is about half of that of the body. The whole 

 upper surface covered with a hard rough skin ; beneath softer, but rough. The facial out- 

 line descends vertically to the mouth, which is small, opening vertically. Upper jaw rather 

 longest, protractile. Teeth like shorn velvet, in a band in the jaws, vomer and palatines ; 

 asperities also on the base of the tongue. A triangular cavity in front,' from which arises a 

 filamentous process, terminating in several fleshy filaments. Subopercle very large, ending 

 in a point, which reaches nearly to the elbow of the pectoral. 



The dorsal fin is midway between the vent and anal fin, lower than the anal, and composed 

 of four simple rays. Pectorals broad, with eleven rays. Ventrals short, with five rays difficult 

 to be distinguished. The vent in the middle of the total length. Anal fin three times higher 

 than long, and with four rays. Caudal fin nearly even, quite rough, and with nine rays. 

 Numerous short filaments on the enlarged part of the body. The opaque portion of the cor- 

 nea is rough, and furnished with very small tubercles on its borders. 



Color. Pale greyish brown above ; pale reddish beneath. 



Length, S'O- 18-0. 



Fin rays, D. 4 ; P. 1 1 ; V. 5 ; A. 4 ; C. 9. 



I have not met with this fish on the coast of New- York ; but as it is common in the Carib- 

 bean sea, and as M. Lapilaye has obtained it from the Banks of Newfoundland, we may well 



