Jordan and Evcrmann. Fishes of North America. 2391 



from anal and dorsal; lateral line not reaching soft dorsal. Olive brown, 

 lig-hter below ; back and upper half of sides irregularly marked with about 

 6 distinct dark-brown cross bars, these uniting at their lower edges and 

 forming a continuous line from head to base of caudal ; the bars nearly 

 confluent on the back at base of dorsal fin ; a dark lateral band nearly as 

 wide as eye. from opercle to base of caudal, containing 5 or 6 light-yel- 

 lowish spots corresponding to the pale interspaces along the back; fins 

 dusky, anal margined with black ; head with a dark spot behind each eye, 

 and 2 smaller blotches in the median line, 1 immediately behind the eyes, 

 the other a short distance in front of dorsal. Pacific coast of Mexico, from 

 Mazatlau to Panama ; rather common. The specimens here described from 

 Mazatlau. (brevis, short; pinna, a tin.) 



Blennius brevipinnis, GUNTHER, Cat. Fish., m, 226, 1861, Pacific coast Central America 

 (Coll. Capt. John M. Dow) ; one specimen wrongly attributed to Hawaiian Islands. 



888. CHASMODES, Cuvier & Valenciennes. 



Ohasniodes, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xi, 295, 1836 (bosqnianus) . 

 Blenitrachus, SWAINSON, Class'n Fishes, etc., 11, 78, 274, 1839 (quadrifasciatus) . 



Body oblong, compressed, naked; head triangular in profile, the snout 

 somewhat pointed; mouth large, with lateral cleft, the maxillary usually, 

 but not always, extending to beyond eye; premaxillaries not protractile; 

 teeth in a single series, long and slender, comb-like, confined to the front 

 of each jaw; no canines; cirri very small or wanting; gill openings very 

 small, their lower edge above the middle of the base of the pectorals ; lat- 

 eral line incomplete. Fins as in Blennius. American. The species with 

 smaller mouth approach Hypsoblennius, which genus is not far separated 

 from Chasmodes. (^a(5/J.K)dr{^ yawning.) 



a. Dorsal and anal free from caudal. 



b. Anal rays 18 or 19; body not banded. JENKINSI, 2741. 



bb. Anal rays 15; body with 4 dark cross bands. QUADRIFASCIATUS, 2742. 



aa. Dorsal joined to base of caudal. 



c. Mouth moderate, the maxillary not extending to posterior border of eye, 2 

 in head. SABURR^E, 2743. 



cc. Mouth large, maxillary reaching posterior border of eye. 



NOVEMLINEATUS, 2744. 



ccc. Mouth very large, the maxillary extending to beyond eye. 



BOSQUIANUS, 2745. 



2741. CHASMODES JENKINSI (Jordan & Evermann). 



Head 3 (4 in total) ; depth 4 (5). D. XII, 17; A. 18 or 19; eye 4 to 5 in 

 head. Body more robust than in related species, resembling Hypsoblen- 

 mus; head large, gently rounded in profile, the snout steep, 4 in head; 

 interorbital space narrow, grooved; orbital tentacle (male) much as in 

 Hi/psoblennius gilberti, about Sin head, branched, the branches usually 4; 

 mouth much larger than in EypsoUennius, the maxillary 2f to 3 in head, 

 reaching to below posterior margin of eye; teeth even, comb-like; gill 

 opening 2 in head, extending downward nearly to lower edge of pectoral, 

 much larger than in Chasmodes saburrw. Dorsal little notched, the spines 



