2670 Bulletin 4.7, United States National Museum. 



highest rays equaling length of mandible ; origin of anal under base of 

 pectoral, its longest ray equaling or slightly exceeding the distance of 

 its anterior ray from snout ; caudal equal to length of head without snout ; 

 pectorals inserted considerably below origin of lateral line, close to gill 

 opening, that of the eyed side 6 in length of body ; that of the blind side 

 almost as long as head. Color light brownish gray ; a dark blotch as long 

 as eye on the anterior rays of the anal, a few obscure on diiferent parts, 

 of lighter hue at the junction of the curved and straight portion of the 

 lateral line. (Goode & Bean.) Deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. 

 (ventralis, pertaining to the ventrals.) 



Citharichthyg ventralit, GOODE & BEAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1885, 592, deep waters of Gulf 



of Mexico. (Coll. Albatross.) 



Arnoglossus ? ventralis, JORDAN & Goss, Review Flounders and Soles, 262, 1889. 

 Trichopsetta ventralis, GOODE & BEAN, Oceanic Ichthyology, 440, pi. 109, fig. 372, 1896. 



1048. SYACIUM, Ranzani. 



Syacium, RANZANI, Novis Speciebus Piscium, Diss. Sec., 20, 1840 (micrurum). 

 Hemirhombu$, BLEEKER, Comptes Rendus Acad. Sci. Amsterd., xin, Pleuron., 4, 1862 



(guineensis) . 

 Aramaca, JORDAN & Goss, in JORDAN, Cat. Fish. N. A., 133, 1885 (pcetula). 



Body elliptic-ovate, much compressed; interorbital space broad in the 

 males and more or less concave, narrowed in the female ; mouth moderate, 

 the gape curved; teeth in the upper jaw biserial, in the lower uniserial; 

 the front teeth of the upper jaw enlarged; vomer toothless; scales rather 

 large, ciliate; lateral line without arch in front; pectoral fins on both 

 sides present; septum of gill cavity below gill arches without foramen; 

 a deep emargination near the isthmus; gill rakers short and thick; dorsal 

 low, its anterior rays not elevated ; pectorals both present ; caudal sub- 

 sessile; no anal spine; pectorals produced in the males ; ventral fins short, 

 that of colored side on ridge of abdomen. This genus contains a consid- 

 erable number of species, mostly American and African, which form a 

 transition from Platophrys to Citharichthys. They fall readily into 2 groups 

 distinguished by the width of the interorbital space. As this width is 

 dependent on age, and as it is subject to various intergradations, the group 

 Aramaca founded on it can not be admitted as a distinct genus. (<5vdnior, 

 diminutive of 6va, a kind of pulse, the application unexplained.) 



a. Snout and orbits without spines or spinous processes. 



b. Scales rather large, 50 to 57 in the lateral line; interorbital space broad. Color 



nearly plain brown, with darker dots or mottlings, no ring-like spots or 



ocelli ; fins mottled ; left pectoral barred ; blind side sometimes wholly or 



partly dusky, especially in northern specimens. PAPILLOSUM, 3040. 



bb. Scales rather small, 58 to 70 in the lateral line. 



c. Scales 65 to 70. Color dark brown, with many rings and spots of light gray 

 and blackish, some of the dark rings with a black central spot; a dif 

 fuse dusky blotch on lateral line above pectoral, and 1 near base of 

 caudal peduncle; fins with numerous inky spots and dark markings; 

 blind side pale. MICRURUM, 3041. 



cc. Scales 58 to 60. 



