2688 Bulletin 4-7 * United States National Museum. 



The ventral fins are also unequally developed, the right being on the ab- 

 dominal ridge at its origin/rather in advance of the opercular margin and 

 with its longest rays contained about 14 times in the total length ; stretched 

 backward, it extends to the second anal ray; the fin on the white side is 

 more advanced, wider, and its rays longer, contained less than 12 times in 

 the length and extends backward to nearly the third anal ray. The scales 

 are large, angular behind, covered with smaller ones, especially near the 

 point of junction of contiguous ones, where alone they are developed on 

 the blind side; the scales of the eyed side are mostly minutely ciliated 

 behind, unarmed, however, near the lateral line, the scales of which last 

 are quadrate and mostly covered ; the scales of the blind side are less an- 

 gular behind and unarmed. The lateral line runs through about 42 scales, 

 while of longitudinal rows there are 10 above and 14 below the lateral 

 line. The color is uniform reddish brown. A single specimen, little more 

 than 3 inches long, was first obtained by Professor Baird, at Beesleys 

 Point." (Gill.) 



This species has not been certainly recognized by recent writers, unless, 

 as supposed by Jordan & Goss, it is identical with Etropus rimosus. It is 

 in any event certainly an Etropus. In the Museum of Comparative Zool- 

 ogy are numerous young specimens collected at Somers Point, New Jersey, 

 by Dr. Stimpson. These seem to belong to the genus Etropus. The teeth 

 are equal; the scales are 44, and the depth of the body is 2 in its length. 

 The eye is 4 in head, the dorsal rays 75 to 80, and the anal rays 56 or 57. 

 The color is light brown, mottled and spotted with darker. These prob- 

 ably represent tlfs Citharichthys microstomus of Gill, collected in the same 

 neighborhood by the same naturalist. We are unable to distinguish them 

 from Etropus rimosus. (niupos, small; 6roua, mouth.) 

 Citharichthys microstomus, GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1864, 223, Beesleys Point, New 



Jersey (Coll. Prof. S. F. Baird) ; GOODE & BEAN, Oceanic Ichthyology, 446, 1896 ; 



JORDAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1890, 332. 

 Etropus microstomus, JORDAN & Goss, Review Flounders and Soles, 278, 1889. 



3061. ETROPUS RIMOSUS, Goode & Bean. 



Head 4 in body; depth 2 to 2. D. 77; A. 61; scales 12-41-14; eye 3| in 

 head; maxillary 4 ; snout 8; caudal 1. Body somewhat elongate, pear- 

 shaped; mouth very small, its cleft less than | the orbit, its angle below 

 anterior margin of lower eye; teeth well developed on blind side on each 

 jaw, also on eyed side of lower jaw in front; eyes placed in the same 

 vertical ; upper eye close to dorsal profile, and separated from its mate by 

 a space less than its diameter; interorbital ridge low; nostrils in a line 

 with the interorbital ridge, each in a short tube, the posterior the larger, 

 the anterior midway between tip of snout and front of lower orbit; head 

 entirely scaled ; accessory scales numerous. Dorsal commencing on blind 

 side at anterior margin of eye, the highest rays somewhat behind middle 

 of fin, its length 7 times in total length; origin of anal under base of pec- 

 toral, its highest rays equal to those of dorsal; pectoral of eyed side 

 longest, equal to head without snout; caudal fin rounded. Color gray, 

 hoary above, with a few irregularly placed indistinct brownish blotches, 

 none of them larger than eye; white below. West coast of Florida; 



