2600 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



backward. On the side having 2 canines, 1 is placed directly behind the 

 other; lower jaw with 3 strong canines on one side and 2 strong and 1 

 weak canine 011 the other, all directed obliquely backward and inward. 

 Dorsal fins slightly connected at base ; the filamentous rays of the first 

 dorsal not quite twice the length of head; ventrals inserted just below 

 axil of pectorals, filamentous, about \ longer than head ; pectorals longer 

 than eye; caudal rays simple to near tip, where is sometimes a single 

 fork, the longest filamentous rays about 3 times length of head; dorsal fin 

 much lower than body, longest rays of second dorsal nearly f- length of 

 head; a series of spinules along base of dorsal, 1 pair for each ray. 

 Lateral line well developed, with a series of small inconspicuous plates, 

 each of which has a minute central prickle. Lower part of the body 

 thickly beset with small spinous tubercles ; rest of the skin naked ; rays 

 of all the fins accompanied by a series of small prickles. Coloration 

 everywhere bright metallic silvery, an oblong jet-black blotch a little 

 longer than eye lying close along base of dorsal and beginning H diame- 

 ters of eye behind eye; 3 larger spots, dusky but not black, lying behind 

 this along side between lateral line and dorsal fin ; 2 smaller dusky spots 

 on belly, the one just behind base of ventrals, the other under the second 

 of the 4 spots of back; these spots, except the first one mentioned, are 

 all diffuse and a little less than twice the diameter of eye in length and 

 about twice as long as deep ; anterior profile below crest, including front 

 of snout and tip of mandible, jet-black; caudal and ventral fins carmine 

 red in life ; other fins unmarked. Length 17 inches. This species bears 

 some resemblance to Trachypterus altivelis described by Kner from Valpa- 

 raiso. The latter species has, however, the nuchal crest much lower and 

 farther back, the first dorsal and the ventrals much lower, the second dor- 

 sal fin higher, the skin rougher, the 4 black spots different in size and 

 position from those found in our specimen, and the caudal rays divided 

 near the base. It is probable that the 3 specimens of Tracliypterus men- 

 tioned in the Synopsis of the Fishes of North America, p. 619, and referred 

 with doubt to Trachypterus altivelis, really belong to the present species. 

 Four specimens known; 1 from Santa Cruz, California, taken by Dr. C. 

 L. Anderson; 2 from the Straits of Fuca, taken by Mr. J. G. Swan, and 

 the type, obtained by a fisherman (Mr. Knox) in the open sea outside the 

 bay of San Francisco. According to Mr. Swan the species is known by the 

 Makah Indians west of the Straits of Fuca as "king of the salmon," and 

 its destruction is believed to have a baneful influence on the salmon fish- 

 ing. " When the king of the salmon is killed the salmon will cease to 

 run." (rex. king; salmonorum, of the salmon.) 



?Trachypteru8 altivelis, JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. TJ. S. Nat. Mus. 1881, 52; JORDAN <fc GIL- 

 BERT, Synopsis, 618, 1883 ; specimen from Santa Cruz ; not of KNER. 



Trachypterut rex-talmonorum, JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci. 1894, 145, pi. 9, open 

 sea outside Bay of San Francisco. (Type, No. 1382, L. S. Jr. Univ. Coll. Mr. Knox.) 



2973. TRACHYPTERUS TRACHYURUS, Poey. 



D. 82; P. 15; V. 6. Eye 2| in head, high, as long as snout. Mouth 

 almost vertical. Bones of head thin as paper. Lateral line a little con- 

 cave on the middle of trunk. No scales ; pectorals small ; ventrals behind 



