2482 Bulletin ^7, United States National Museum. 



946. LEPOPHIDIUM, Gill. 



Leptophidium, GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1363, 210 (profundorum) ; name preoccupied 



in Serpents by Leptophidium, HALLOWELL, 1860. 

 Lepophidium, GILL, Amer. Nat., Feb., 1895, 16 (profundorum). 



Body much elongate, moderately compressed, with back and abdominal 

 regions arched, more compressed and slowly decreasing in height back- 

 ward to an abruptly rounded point; scales regularly imbricated in quin- 

 cunx oval, and with striae radiating backward; head with imbricated 

 scales, extending to forehead; snout high, projecting forward, and 

 obtusely rounded, armed above with a short, nearly concealed spine 

 directed forward and somewhat downward, obsolete in 1 species; mouth 

 moderate, oblique; teeth of jaws villiform, immersed in a mucous mem- 

 brane, separated by an interval from the longer ones in the outer row, 

 which are pointed and usually movable; vomer and palatines with teeth. 

 Deep waters of America on both coasts. Perhaps a fuller knowledge of 

 the species of this genus will lead to its subdivision. (AfTToj, scale ; Ophid- 

 ium, from the squaination.) 



a .. Snout without decurvecl hook or spine ; gill rakers 8 ; head 5 in length ; depth 1 ; 

 pectorals 10; body marbled, the vertical fins edged with black. 



M ARMOR ATUM, 2846. 



aa. Snout with a decurved hook or spine at tip, sometimes more or less concealed in 

 the skin. 

 b. Gill rakers 7 to 9 in number. 



c. Head large, 3| to 4J in length. 



d. Body stoutish, the depth 6 in length ; scales 125 ; no black blotch on 



front of dorsal. EMMELAS, 2847. 



dd. Body slender, the depth 9 in length ; dorsal with a black blotch in 



front ; scales 180. STIGMATISTIUM, 2848. 



cc. Head moderate, 6 in length; depth 10; vertical fins black-edged. 



e. Anterior teeth in jaws movable; pectoral 11 in body; body without 



white spots. PROFUNDORUM, 2849. 



ee. Anterior teeth in jaws not movable ; pectoral 13 to 14 in body ; body 



with whitish spots. CKRVINUM, 2850. 



bb. Gill rakers 4 in number. 



/. Scales moderate, 175 to 200 in lateral line. 



g. Body without dark cross bars ; dorsal and anal margined with black ; 



air bladder oblong. 

 h. Head 4 in length; depth 8; pectoral 10J. Pacific species. 



PRORATES, 2851. 



hh. Atlantic species imperfectly described. BREVIBARBE, 2852. 



gg. Body with dark cross bars ; dorsal spotted with black ; anal wholly 



black; head 5$ in length; depth 8|. PARDALE, 2853. 



ff. Scales minute, about 250 in lateral line; head 4; depth 7J to 8; color 



nearly plain, the fins dark edged. MICROLEPIS, 2854. 



2846. LEPOPHIDIUM MAKMORATUM (Goode& Bean). 



Head 5; depth 7i; eye 4 in head; snout about 5. Body somewhat 

 elongate, stoutish anteriorly, gradually tapering; head thickish; inter- 

 orbital area broad, convex, its width nearly equal to length of snout, 

 which is blunt, spineless; eye circular, somewhat exceeding length of 

 snout. Maxillary extending to vertical through posterior margin of orbit, 



