328 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



134. LEPIDOMEDA, Cope. 



Lepidomeda, COPE, Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc. Phila., 1874, 131, (vittata). 



Body elongate. Mouth terminal, without barbels. Teeth 2, 4-4, 2, 

 hooked, without grinding surface. Scales small ; lateral line complete. 

 Dorsal fin with a strong spine, composed of two, the posterior received 

 into a longitudinal groove of the anterior. Inner border of the ventral 

 fins adherent to the body. Dorsal fin inserted behind the ventrals. Anal 

 basis short. Size small. Extraordinary little fishes of the desert region 

 of Arizona. (AeTn'f, scale ; Meda.) 



a. Eye 3% in head ; depth 4% in length. VITTATA, 546. 



aa. Eye large, 3% in head ; depth 5 in length. JARROVII, 547. 



546. LEPIDOMEDA VITTATA, Cope. 



HeadSf; depth 4i; eye3f. D. II, 7; A. 9; teeth 2, 4-4, 2. Body rather 

 stout. Head wide and flat above, slightly depressed behind the eyes. 

 Muzzle obtuse, not prominent. Mouth terminal, oblique. Scales small, 

 covering the whole body except space behind pectorals ; 26 series above 

 lateral line and 56 in front of dorsal. Preorbital bone trapezoidal. Second 

 dorsal spine as long as the first and wider. Dorsal rays somewhat enlarged 

 and ossified. Pectorals scarcely enlarged. Color silvery ; a lead-colored 

 lateral band and a -black dorsal band. Length 3 inches. Known 

 only from the Colorado Chiquito River, Arizona, and from Pahranagat 

 Valley, Nevada, (vittatus, striped.) 



Lepidomeda vitiata, COPE, Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc. Phila., 1874, 131, Rio Colorado Chiquito, 

 Arizona; (Type, No. 15785. Coll. Henshaw;) and Zoiil. Wheeler Surv., v, 642, pi. xxvr, 

 figs. 2, 2a, 1875, (1876) ; JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 251, 1883, (1876) ; GILBERT, Fishes of 

 Death Valley Expedition, 231, 1893. 



547. LEPIDOMEDA JARROVII, Cope. 



Head 4; depth 5; eye 3J. D. II, 7; A. 9; teeth 2, 4-4, 2. Body more 

 elongate. Mouth nearly horizontal, lower jaw somewhat projecting. Eye 

 larger than in L. vittata, maxillary reaching its anterior border. Spines 

 slender. Scales very small and difficult to detect, 51 series before dorsal 

 fin. Olivaceous; a median black vertebral band ; sides silvery; bases of 

 ventral fins red. Length 3 inches. Colorado Chiquito River, Arizona, 

 (Cope), also in southern Nevada, in springs in the desert, (Gilbert). 

 (Named for Dr. Henry C. Yarrow.) 



Lepidomeda jarrovii, COPE, Proc. Am. Philos. Soc. Phila., 1874, 133, Rio Colorado Chiquito, 

 Arizona; (Type, No. 15786. Coll. Henshaw;) and Zool. Wheeler Surv., v, 643, pi. xxvi, 

 figs. 1, la, 1875, (1876); JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 251, 1883. 



135. MEDA, Girard. 



Meda, GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1856, 191, (ftilgida). 



Body elongate. Mouth terminal, normal; no barbels. Teeth 2, 5-5, 2, 

 hooked, without grinding surface. Body entirely scaleless. Fins as in 

 Lepidomeda. Size small. Gila region. (Meda, a classical feminine name, 

 of no evident application to these singular fishes.) 



