Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 973 

 445. ACROTUS, Bean. 



Acrotus, BEAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1887, (531, (leillowjhlyi). 



Shape of the body as in Icosteus, from which it differs in the absence of 

 veutrals and spiny tubercles along lateral line, and in having an emargi- 

 nate caudal. Head short ; mouth moderate ; eye small. Teeth minute, 

 uniserial, on intermaxillary and mandible ; vomer, palate, and pharynx 

 toothless. Gill openings wide, the membrane not attached to isthmus ; 

 gills 4, a wide slit behind the fourth ; gill rakers short, soft, and flexible ; 

 pseudobranchise well developed ; branchiostegals 6. Vent somewhat in 

 advance of middle of body. Caudal peduncle very slender; ventrals 

 absent; caudal large, emarginate. Skin naked. Lateral line without 

 tubercles. Vertebrae 70. Bones all soft and flexible. Size large. Probably 

 worthy of family rank. (UKPOTOG, without oars (ventral fins).) 



1372. ACROTUS WILLOUGHBYI, Bean. 



Head 6; depth 3i; eye 12; snout 4; interorbital width 3. D. 41; A. 

 38 ; P. 20. Upper jaw 3 in head, maxilla reaches to below middle of eye. 

 Caudal peduncle very slender ; its least height little more than its length 

 and not much exceeding i length of head. Gill rakers 15, 9 below the 

 angle, longest about as long as eye. Origin of dorsal not clearly made 

 out, the first ray that can be seen without dissection is nearly midway 

 between eye and end of dorsal, but dissection reveals Trays in advance of 

 this ; dorsal beginning much nearer head in Icosteus, and dissection may 

 show that rays are developed much farther in advance than we have been 

 able to distinguish them; longest dorsal ray about 3 in head. Caudal 

 peduncle as long as head without snout ; caudal large, emarginate, its 

 middle rays } as long as external rays and f- as long as head ; vent at a 

 distance from tip of snout equal to 3 times, and from base of caudal a 

 space equal to 3 times length of head ; the first evident anal ray at a dis- 

 tance behind the vent equal to | length of head ; longest anal ray a little 

 less than i as long as head ; pectoral placed close to the head and nearly 

 in the middle of the height, its length length of head. Lateral line 

 with a slight curve over the pectoral and becoming median about half- 

 way between the pectoral and vent. Skin naked. Peritoneum very dark. 

 Chocolate brown ; inside of mouth and gill opening rich, dark brown. 

 (Bean.) One specimen, 5i feet long, obtained at Damon, Washington 

 (Quinault Agency) apparently thrown up in a storm from deep water. 

 (Named for its discoverer, Charles Willoughby, Indian Agent at Quinault.) 



Acrotus willouyhbyi, BEAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1887, 631, Quinault Agency, west coast of 

 Washington; (Type, No. 39340. Coll. Chaa. Willoughby); GOODE & BEAN, Oceanic 

 Ichthyology, 217, 1895. 



Family CXXXVII. GRAMMICOLEPIDID^E. 



Body compressed, covered with vertical linear scales. Mouth small, 

 terminal ; teeth minute, asperities on the jaws only. Lateral line sinuous, 

 unarmed. Two dorsals, the first very short, triangular, the second and 



