56 



CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



based on a small specimen. It is either the young of 

 brandtii or of a very closely related species. 



Robust, as deep as wide; profile steep; greatest depth 

 of the head little less than its width which is two-thirds 

 of its length. Top of head with radiating series of 

 granules which extend forward over the posterior part 

 of the interorbital region; fontanel bordered anteriorly 

 by a broad ridge which is granulated on the snout; 

 opercle indistinctly striate, the humeral process granu- 

 lar, covered with thick skin. Fontanel broad, extend- 

 ing backward as a shallow groove. Occipital process 

 with a median keel broader than long, the margin con- 

 cave, the tip deeply emarginate, coossified with the 

 dorsal plate in the adult; dorsal plate shield-shaped, 

 longer than broad, about 3| in head. 



Eye 3 in snout, 9 in head, 5 in interocular. 



Maxillary barbels reaching more than half way to the 

 pectoral; postmentals not half way to pectorals. 



Upper jaw projecting; 

 teeth in the jaws all mi- 

 nute, villiform, those on 

 the vomer in a rather 

 narrow band, on the pal- 

 ate in along triangular 

 patch, contiguous but 

 with a marked constric- 

 tion between the patch- 

 es; teeth on the vomer 

 and palatines bluntly 

 conical. 

 Gill-membranes meeting in an angle, forming a very 



broad free margin across the isthmus. Gill-rakers 



short and blunt, 4+9. 



Distance of dorsal from snout 2J in the length; the 



dorsal spine 1J in the length of the head, granular 



