2638 Bulletin tf, United States National Museum. 



dorsal, anal, caudal, and ventrals narrowly edged with white; pectoral 

 uniformly blackish. Pacific coast of United States, south to Monterey. 

 This species is rather scarce along the California coast, being taken 

 chiefly in deep water. It reaches a larger size than either P. verticalis or 

 P. cccnosus. Here described from a specimen from San Francisco market, 

 8 inches in length, (decurrens, running down.) 



Pleuronichthys coenosus, LoCKlNGTON, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1879,97; not Pleuronichthyg 

 coenosus, GIRARD. 



Pleuronichthys quadrituberculatus, JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1880, 50, not 

 of PALLAS; JORDAN, Nat. Hist. Aquat. Anim., 189, 1884. 



Pleuronichythys decurrens, JORDAN <fc GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1880, 453, San Fran- 

 cisco; Monterey Bay (Coll. Jordan & Gilbert) ; JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. 

 Mus. 1881, 69 ; JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 829, 1883 ; JORDAN & Goss, Review Floun- 

 ders and Soles, 282, 1889. 



3006. PLEURONICHTHYS VERTICALIS, Jordan & Gilbert. 



Head 4 in body; depth 2. D. 65; A. 45; scales about 80; vetebrre 13 + 

 25 38. Form broad ovate, the outlines regular; head small, somewhat 

 constricted behind the upper eye; eyes large, but smaller than in P. 

 decurrens. Interorbital ridge narrow; a small tubercle or prominence 

 in front of upper eye; a large one in front of upper edge of lower 

 eye; another larger and sharper at interior edge of the interocular space; 

 another at the posterior edge of interocular spine ridge ; this latter devel- 

 oped into a long, sharp, triangular spine, which is nearly as long as the 

 pupil, and is directed backward; a prominent tubercle at posterior 

 lower angle of upper eye; upper edge of opercle somewhat uneven, but 

 no other tubercles present. Mouth small, as in other species; the lips 

 thick, with lengthwise plica3. Teeth in a broad band on the left (blind) 

 side of each jaw; no teeth on the right side in either jaw. Gill rakers 

 very small, weak, and flexible, about 10 in number. Scales essentially as 

 in other species, small, cycloid, embedded, scarcely imbricated; lateral 

 line nearly straight, with an accessory branch which extends to the mid- 

 dle of the dorsal fin. Dorsal fin beginning on blind side at level of pre- 

 maxillary, there being but about 4 of its rays on left side of median line; 

 vertical fins less elevated than in other species, the longest rays of dorsal 

 about length of head; anal fin preceded by a spine; caudal peduncle 

 short and deep; caudal fin elongate, rounded behind; pectorals short, 

 nearly equal; ventrals moderate, reaching anal spine. Color dark olive 

 brown, with round grayish spots, the body and fins mottled with black- 

 ish. This species agrees in habits and general characters with Pleuro- 

 nichthys decurrens. Coast of California, in rather deep water. The above 

 description from the original type, (verticalis, pertaining to the vertex.) 

 Pleuronichthyg verticalis, JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1880, 49, San Fran- 

 cisco (Coll. Jordan & Gilbert); JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1881, 169; 

 JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 829,1883; JORDAN, Nat. Hist. Aquat. Anim., 189, 1884; 

 JOBDAN & Goss, Review Flounders and Soles, 282, 1889. 



3007. PLEURONICHTHIS C<ENOSU8, Girard. 



Head3f; depth 2. D.68; A. 49; scales 61; eye 3 in head; pectoral 1^; 

 dorsal and anal rays 1|; caudal a little longer than head. Body ovate; 

 snout scarcely produced; mouth small, maxillary reaching past front of 



