Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 2737 



3119. OtiCOCEPHALUS YESPERTILIO (Linnseus). 

 (BAT FISH; DIABLO.) 



Head, from tip of upper jaw to gill opening, nearly $ the length; depth 

 5 in length from upper jaw to base of caudal; width 1*. D. 4: A. 4; ros- 

 tral process from 6 to 10 (9 in our specimens from Havana) ; P. 4 ; V. 6 ; 

 C. 4. Body stoutish, much depressed, rostral process longer than in the 

 other species, variable in length; mouth small, the maxillary reaching 

 nearly to posterior margin of eye ; villiform teeth in bands, on jaws, vomer, 

 and palatines ; interorbital flattish. its width less between anterior edge of 

 eyes than posterior edge ; rostral groove longer than broad ; body covered 

 with bony protuberances, variable in size, and not very definite in posi- 

 tion, lower parts with a shagreen-like covering ; posterior edge of pec- 

 torals much behind middle of body; ventrals long, reaching outward to 

 edge of the disk-like, anterior part of body ; origin of dorsal over posterior 

 edge of pectoral ; anal under the vertical of tips of dorsal rays, anal reach- 

 ing nearly to base of caudal. Pale grayish brown above, reddish below; 

 back with round black spots, conspicuous in life, but growing fainter and 

 sometimes disappearing in spirits ; belly in life a coppery red ; pectorals 

 nearly plain dusky. Length 12 inches. West Indies, north to the Florida 

 Keys ; common in shallow water. Here described from a specimen from 

 Havana, Cuba, about 10 inches in length. The length of the snout is 

 subject to great variation, but it is never short and button-like, as in 0. 

 radiatua. (vespertilio, a bat.) 



Lophius vespertilio, LINN.EUS, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, I, 236, 1758, American Seas ; after Lophius 



fronti unicorni of ARTEDI. 

 Malthcea vespertilio, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xn, 440, 1837 ; prominence 



on snout 10 in length; DE KAY, N. Y. Fauna: Fishes, 167, 1842; GUNTHER, Cat., in, 200, 



1861 ; JORDAN & GILBERT, Syopsis, 850, 1883 ; JORDAN & SWAIN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 



1884, 234. 



Lophius rostratus, SHAW, Zool., iv, 383, pi. 163, 1803. 

 Malthcea longirostris, CUVIER &. VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xn, 452, 1837, Bahia 



(Coll. Blanchet) ; snout 6 in length. 



3120. OGCOCEPHALUS NASUTUS (Cuvier_& Valenciennes). 



Head 2. D. 4; A. 4. Rostral process short, about 12 to 15 times in 

 length of body. Cavity of nostril tentacle higher than broad; width of 

 body 2 in length ; vent behind middle of body. Dusky above, with round 

 black spots, edged with whitish. West Indies. (Liitken) ; not seen by 

 us; perhaps a variation of O. vespertilio. (nasutus, long-nosed.) 

 Malthcea nusuta, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xn, 452, 1837, Martinique. 

 Malthe nasula, LUTKEN, Nat. For. Vid. Medd. 1865, 4; JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 850, 



1883. 

 Malthcea notata, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xn, 453, 1837, Surinam ; snout 



15 in length ; body spotted. 



