AILEOSTEUS 25 



Family ZAPRORID^ (?) 



Araeosteus Jordan and Gilbert, new genus. 



(Type: AR^OSTEUS ROTHI Jordan and Gilbert.) 



Body elongate, rather robust. Head unknown, the bones striate ; ver- 

 tebrae about 43, slender, hour-glass shaped, not grooved. Interneurals 

 and interhaemals moderate, very oblique ; dorsal fin of 30 to 40 rays, all 

 simple and flexible, subequal, the fin continuous; anal with about 15 

 rays all simple ; other fins lost. 



The location of this genus is uncertain. In its vertebral column it 

 resembles some COTTIDJE. The dorsal fin has analogies among the dolphin- 

 like fishes and among the allies of the blennies. But on the whole the long 

 series of simple rays suggests most strongly the Pacific Coast genus, 

 ZAPRORA Jordan. Nothing, however, is known of the vertebral column 

 of the very rare type of that genus, ZAPRORA SILENUS Jordan, thus far 

 found only about Vancouver Island. The affinities of ZAPRORA are not 

 yet determined. 



On the whole, it seems safest to assume that AR^EOSTEUS is an ally 

 of ZAPRORA, which is probably a last relic of a disappearing group. 

 os, slender; OOTEOV, bone.) 



10. Araeosteus rothi Jordan and Gilbert, new genus and species. 



(Plate XIV) 



Type No. 315. Part of a fish 10 inches long to end of anal, the head 

 crushed, showing strong striae on opercles. Head 3i/> to end of anal ; 

 depth 4y 2 ; vertebrae slender, not grooved, hour-glass shaped, 10+ (7) 

 + 13 to middle of anal, probably about 43 in all. First dorsal of 15 to 

 20 slender spines, rather wide set. Second with 15 to 20 slender rays, ap- 

 parently simple, no sign of branching anywhere. No evidence that the 

 spines and soft rays are differentiated. The last rays certainly and per- 

 haps some intervening spines are lost. The fin was most likely continuous. 

 Interneurals moderate, oblique, in pairs. Interhaemals very oblique, rather 

 strong, the fin inserted far behind front of soft dorsal. Anal showing 

 about 15 rays, all simple. Some or all of interhaemals and interneurals in 

 pairs, two springing from one neural or one haemal, one or often two be- 

 tween each two interhaemals and interneurals, mostly longer than the 

 haemals and neurals ; ribs slender, very oblique. 



This seems to be the same as No. XI, from Lompoc, an indetermined 

 specimen figured in our Fossil Fishes of Southern California. (Named 

 for Almon Edward Roth of Stanford University.) 



