Jordan and Evennann. Fishes of North America. 2423 



Ophidium atropurpureum, KITTLITZ, Denkwiird einer Reise Russ.-Amer., i, 225, 1858, 

 Alaska. 



Centronotus cristagalli, GUNTHER, Cat., in, 289, 1861, Vancouver Island. 



Anoplarchus purpurexcens, GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1861, 261, Washington Terri- 

 tory. (Coll. Dr. Kennerly.) 



Anoplarchus cristagalli, GUNTHER, Cat., m, 564, 1861. 



Anoplarchus atropurpureus, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 771, 1883; JORDAN &, STARKS, 

 Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci, 1895, 84G. 



909. XIPHISTES, Jordan & Starks. 



Xiphistes, JORDAN & STARKS, Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci. 1895, 846 (chirus). 



This genus is very close to Xiphidion, differing in the well-developed 

 pectoral fius ; which are longer than eye; lower lateral line not connected 

 with abdominal line. (z0ztfr??, a sword belt.) 



a. Anal spines 3 ; branches of upper lateral line extending on dorsal fin ; color grass- 



green. ULV.35, 2779. 



act. Anal spines 2; branches of upper lateral line shorter; color brownish, marbled, 



and with red blotches. CHIRUS, 2780. 



2779. XIPHISTES ULVJE, Jordan & Starks. 



Head 8; depth 10. D. LXXIV; A. Ill, 48; eye 5 in head; maxillary 2|; 

 pectoral 3. Body eel-shaped, as in the related species ; head short ; mouth 

 small, oblique, maxillary extending to below posterior margin of eye ; jaws 

 subequal, with canine teeth; 4 enlarged canines in front of lower jaw; 

 teeth in upper jaw gradually enlarged from behind forward; eye moder- 

 ate, equal to length of snout; interorbital space prominent, sharply con- 

 vex, narrower than width of eye; nape not constricted. Five mucous 

 canals radiating downward and backward from eye, not reaching to 

 edge of preopercle, the branches running upward from upper lateral line 

 ending 011 the membrane of dorsal, the lower lateral line not connected 

 with the abdominal line. , Lateral line otherwise as in Xipliistes chirus. 

 Origin of dorsal at a distance behind nape equal to distance from nape to 

 middle of eye, the fin posteriorly barely connecting with caudal; anal with 

 3 spines, its origin about a head's length nearer snout than base of caudal, 

 connected with caudal posteriorly ; pectorals equal in length to snout and 

 ^ eye, slightly shorter than caudal; caudal rounded, fan-shaped. Color 

 olive green above, very bright green below ; middle and lateral line pos- 

 teriorly, with conspicuous white spots, \ as large as pupil, each with a 

 black spot before and behind it ; a black streak from tip of snout, through 

 eye, to nape, a streak starting from eye behind quickly fading out; dorsal 

 darker than body, unmarked; the anterior third of anal green, with- 

 out markings, behind this, faint cross bars of brown appear, growing 

 broader and darker posteriorly; caudal olive green, with a light bar 

 across base; pectorals green, without markings. One specimen obtained 

 at Waadda Island, Neah Bay. It was found high on the rocks, among 

 alge, just below high water mark. Length 5 inches. This species is very 

 closely related to Xiphistes chirm; it differs from it chiefly in having 3 anal 



