Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America, 2311 



857. KATHETOSTOMA, Giinther. 



Kathetostoma, GUNTHER, Cat. Fish., n, 231, 1860 (leave). 



Body robust, formed as in Astroscopus and Uranoscopus. Scales none. 

 One continuous dorsal without spines; veutrals jugular not adnate to the 

 abdomen; pectoral rays branched ; some bones of the head armed. Cav- 

 ity of the gills without superior opening; 6 branchiostegals ; pseudo- 

 bran chiai present. Air bladder none. Three species known, the type, Kathe- 

 tostoma Iccve, being from Australia. (xdQero$, vertical; tfrojua, mouth.) 



a. Dorsal rays 13 ; aual 13 ; body shaded and dotted with blackish. AVERRUNCUS, 2647. 

 aa. Dorsal rays 10 ; anal 12 ; body spotted \vith white. ALBIGUTTA, 2648. 



2647. KATHETOSTOMA AYERRUNCUS, Jordan & Bollman. 



Head 2f , 3 with caudal ; depth 3|. D. 13 ; A. 13. Body short and robust, 

 its width behind base of pectorals equal to length of top of head. Head very 

 large, its width at peropercle less than its length by $ length of eye. Mouth 

 large, vertical; maxillary 2 in head. Snout If in eye. Eye rather small, 

 5 in head. Teeth of lower jaw largest, inner row of each jaw enlarged 

 and movable ; vonier and palatines with a few large, conical teeth. Lower 

 jaw without tentacle. Interorbital space lightly concave, 1 times length 

 of eye. Premaxillary groove as broad as long, 1J in eye, obtuse behind, 

 extending backward just past middle of pupil. Distance between bases 

 of humeral spines 1 in top of head. Preorbital with 3 spines in front 

 directed forward and downward. Preopercle with 3 spines below angle 

 directed downward and forward. Two antrorse spines on mandible, and 

 2 on breast before ventrals. Bones of top of head coarsely granular, 

 striate, no naked area above except premaxillary groove; 2 points on 

 occipital region whence granular ridges radiate ; opercles and orbital bones 

 coarsely granular, but not striate. No trace of scales or of spinous dorsal. 

 Base of dorsal equal to base of anal, If in head, longest ray equal to depth 

 of cheek; pectorals \ eye, length greater than that of top of head; 

 ventrals reaching more than halfway to vent, their length equal to that 

 of top of head. A few small depressions resembling embedded scales on 

 region before dorsal and above head. Color blackish brown, mottled with 

 paler; lower parts pale, dusted with brown; lips and gular region black; 

 dorsal dusty, with 5 indistinct, partly confluent, whitish spots along its 

 base ; anterior part of anal pale, posterior thickly dusted with blackish, 

 tips of rays pale; pectorals blackish, faintly barred; axil diisted outside, 

 inner part very pale; ventrals pale; caudal with 3 irregular oblique 

 dark bars; floor of mouth pinkish; tongue dusted with dark specks. 

 Length 4-J- inches. Pacific Ocean, off coast of Colombia; a single speci- 

 men dredged at a depth of 7 fathoms ; a most singular fish, (averruncus, 

 a deity which wards off; from the mailed head.) 

 Kathetostoma, averruncus, JORDAN & BOLLMAN, Proc. TJ. S. Nat. Mus. 1889, 163, off coast ol 



Colombia, at Albatross Station 2800, 8 57' N., 79 31' 30" W. ; KIRSCH, I. c., 259, 1889: 



JORDAN, Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci. 1896, 229, pi. 31. 



