Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 2425 



than eye. Intestinal canal moderately elongate, with 4 to 6 well-developed 

 pyloric caeca. Herbivorous, feeding on algae. Active fishes, inhabiting 

 title pools and crevices among rocks in the North Pacific. (,i<l>idiov , a small 

 sword.) 



a. Distance from origin of dorsal to occiput less than that from occiput to tip of snout; 

 streaks radiating from eye paler in the center, edged above and below with blackish! 



MUCOSUM, 2781. 



aa. Distance from origin of dorsal to occiput greater than that from occiput to snout; 

 streaks radiating from eye black, abruptly margined with pale olive. 



RUPESTBE, 2782. 



2781. XIPHIDION MUCOSUM, Girard. 



Head 7 in body; depth 8|. D, LXXIV; A. 46; eye 7 in head; maxil- 

 lary 2|; caudal 2f; pectoral a little longer than eye. Lower jaw with a 

 series of short, stout conical teeth ; upper jaw Avith a narrow band of 

 similar teeth ; 2 strong canines in upper jaw, 4 in the lower. Lower lateral 

 line sending a branch to the abdominal line; nape not constricted. Dor- 

 sal beginning anteriorly, distance from its origin to occiput less than 

 that from occiput to tip of snout; origin of anal nearer snout than tip of 

 caudal by about \ length of head. Blackish green, pale on belly and 

 sides of head, marked posteriorly with olive green in various pattern; a 

 transverse light-greenish bar at base of caudal; 3 olive-brown streaks 

 radiating backward from eye, paler in the center and edged above and 

 below with blackish, outside of which is sometimes a streak of pale olive ; 

 these streaks all merge backward into the color of the head; middle 

 streak broadly wedge-shaped, the third streak terminating before reach- 

 ing margin of preopercle; old individuals often coarsely blotched with 

 yellow. Length 18 inches. Monterey to Alaska ; very abundant among 

 rocks and algte. Here described from specimens, 9 or 10 inches in length, 

 from Neah Bay, Straits of Fuca, Washington, (mucosus, slimy.) 



Xiphidion mucosum, GIRARD, Pac. K. E. Surv., x, Fishes, 119^1858, South Farallones, 

 California (Coll. Lieut. Trowbridge. Type, No. 493, U. S. Nat. Mus.) ; GUNTHER, Cat., 

 in, 291, 1861 ; JORDAN & STARRS, Fishes Puget Souud, 848, 1895. 



Xiphidion cruoreum,* COPE, Proc. Ajner. Phil. Soc. Phila. 1873, 27, Sitka (Coll. Prof. George 

 Davidson) ; JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1880, 137. 



Xiphitter mucosum, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 772, 1883. 



*The following is the original description of Xiphidion cruoreum: Head 8 in total 

 length ; depth 9 ; eye 7 in head, equal to length of pectoral fin. D. about 70 ; A. 48 ; Br. 5. 

 Teeth, 2 canines above, 4 below, subequal. Dorsal spines not commencing near the head, 

 the anterior buried in a soft fold of skin; caudal fin not distinct. Three lateral mucous 

 canals extending entire length of caudal fin, which have numerous alternating transverse 

 branches, those of the superior reaching base of dorsal, those of inferior reaching base of 

 anal ; each of the cross branches with several excretory pores, none on the main stem ; a 

 similar but short tube extending from near base of dorsal fin to supra-occipital region, 

 and not branching anteriorly ; the superior lateral canal descending to near the .median, 

 but not ioining it, nor does the latter extend into the inferior; another tubular line on 

 each side of abdomen, these uniting on jugular region by a continuation ot the ml 

 rior lateral tube. Vent nearer end of muzzle than end of caudal fin, by length ot head. 

 Color maroon, more reddish below; a vertical, broad, reddish bar at base of tail, beyond 

 which is a dark spot; 2 brown radii, black -edged, extending backward and downward 

 from eve. Bodv covered with small scales, except on the jugular and abdominal regions, 

 which are naked. Length 8 inches. This fish is not very different from X. mucosum, 

 Girard. It differs in the smaller eye, the more remote origin of the dorsal tin from the 

 bead, the lack of anterior union of the mucous canals, and the coloration. (Oope.) 



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