2442 Bulletin //, United States National Museum. 



Family CCI. CRYPTACANTHODID^E. 

 (THE WRY-MOUTHS.) 



Body very long and slender, compressed, naked or covered with small, 

 cycloid scales; lateral line obsolete or composed of open pores without 

 tubes; head oblong, cuboid, with vertical cheeks; conspicuous nmciferous 

 channels in mandible and preopercle; head flattish above, with deep 

 rounded pits between and behind eyes; mouth large, very oblique; lower 

 jaw very heavy, its tip projecting; premaxillary not protractile; jaws with 

 rather sharp, conical teeth; larger teeth on the vomer and sometimes on 

 palatines. Gill membranes joined to the isthmus, the gill openings pro- 

 longed forward below. Pyloric caeca 5. Pseudobrauchiae small. Dorsal 

 fin long, composed entirely of spines, which are rather strong, but envel- 

 oped in the skin ; dorsal and anal joined to the caudal; no ventral fins; 

 pectorals short. Blennies of large size, of the Northern shores of America. 

 Three species known, forming 3 genera. (Blenniidce, genus Cryptacan- 

 thodes, Giinther, Cat., in, 291, 1861.) 



a. Body scaly; lateral line present, composed of open pores; isthmus narrow; teeth on 



palatines. DELOLEPIS, 922. 

 aa. Body naked ; lateral line obsolete. 



c. Palatines with teeth; isthmus narrow. CBYPTACANTHODES, 923. 



cc. Palatines toothless ; isthmus rather broad. LYCONECTES, 924. 



922. DELOLEPIS, Bean. 

 Delolepis, BEAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1882, 465 (virgatus). 



Body auguilliform, moderately compressed posteriorly, covered with 

 small, imbricated, cycloid scales; vent nearly median; a small anal 

 papilla; lateral line continuous, straight, nearly median, composed of open 

 pores, without prominent tubes. Head oblong, subquadrangular, naked, 

 the nmciferous channels well developed, the vertex shallow concave ; snout 

 short, obtuse; nostril tubular, close behind premaxillary ; eyes small, high, 

 separated by an interspace of moderate width, surrounded by a series of 

 shallow pits; mouth wide, oblique, terminal, the lower jaw projecting 

 beyond the upper; lips fleshy; premaxillaries slightly protractile, with 

 2 rows of small conical teeth; a few larger teeth at the symphysis; vomer 

 and palatines with a few rather large teeth; tongue smooth, adherent; 

 mandible with a few shallow pits, the series continued on the posterior 

 border of preopercle; opercles unarmed. Gill membranes attached to a 

 narrow isthmus ; gill rakers very short ; pseudobranchiae present. Branch - 

 iostegals 6. Pectorals short, placed low, their bases vertical; ventrals 

 none; dorsal beginning above gill opening, composed entirely of spines; 

 anal with 2 spines and many split rays; dorsal and anal continuous with 

 the caudal, which is rather.loug and pointed. Intestine short, with a few 

 pyloric ca3ca. (diJA.o's, visible; Xenig, scale.) 



2798. DELOPLEPIS VIBGATUS, Bean. 



Head 6 ; depth 10. D. LXXVI ; A. II, 46 ; P. 13 ; caeca 6. Width of head 

 equal to greatest depth of body ; interorbital area equal to snout, or $ 

 length of mandible; maxillary reaching a little behind eye, its length 3 in 



