1116 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



dorsal f length of mandible. Anal spines slender. Pectoral as long as 

 head without the snout. Ventral slightly in advance of origin of peer 

 toral, the fin nearly as long as pectoral, its length 4 in body. Length 

 90 millimeters. Colors faded in the types ; traces of purplish brown on 

 the upper parts and the head; spinous dorsal with a dark triangular 

 blotch on its upper portion, extending from the second to the sixth 

 spine, involving less than half the height of the membrane. Specimens 

 were obtained by the Albatross from station 2314, at a depth of 159 

 fathoms ; from station 2397, at a depth of 280 fathoms ; from station 

 2401, at a depth of 142 fathoms ; from station 2417, at a depth of 95 

 fathoms ; from station 2418, at a depth of 90 fathoms ; from station 2425, 

 at a depth of 119 fathoms, and from station 2426, in 93 fathoms. (Goode 

 & Bean.) (bellus, beautiful.) 



Hypodydonia bella, GOODE & BEAN, Oceanic Ichthyology, 236, 1895, Gulf Stream. (Type, 



No. 44621.) 



Family CXLV. CENTROPOMID^E. 

 (THE ROBALOS.) 



This family is thus defined by Professor Gill (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 

 1882, 484) : " Typical Acanthopterygians with the postorbital portion of the 

 skull longer than the oculo-rostral ; the parietals behind the constriction 

 continuous with the epiotics and transverse laminae arising from the 

 supraoccipital crest, the three together forming a well differentiated pos- 

 terior oblong pentagonal or hastiform area ; the reentering parietal sinus, 

 with its anterior margin, produced forward nearest the opisthotics ; the 

 exoccipitals well developed and contiguous above the foramen magnum ; 

 the vertebrae in typical number (10 + 14-) and longish; the anterior 2 

 partly coossified and the first with selliform apophyses extending back- 

 ward and embracing the second vertebra; the vertebrae mostly with 

 fovese or pits for the ribs, and only with developed parapophyses for the 

 posterior (6 to 10) pairs of ribs ; the second neural spine suberect, and 

 with laminiform extensions, which embrace the first; the neurapophyses 

 and neural spines of the other vertebrae depressed at their bases, continuous 

 with the zygapophyses in front, and slightly curved upward at their tips; 

 the haemal spines resembling the neural." Subocular laminae produced 

 behind in a pointed process. External characters are the elongate body, 

 with elevated back, straight abdomen and angulated base of anal. Scales 

 ctenoid, varying in size, lateral line conspicuous, extending on the caudal 

 fin, the tube straight, confined to basal half of the scale. Head depressed, 

 pike-like, the lower jaw projecting ; villiform teeth in bands, on jaws, 

 vorner, and palatines ; tongue smooth. Maxillary broad, truncate behind, 

 with a strong supplemental bone. Pseudobranchiae present, small. Pre- 

 opercle with a double ridge, the posterior margin strongly serrated, with 

 larger spines at the angle ; preorbital and suprascapula serrated ; opercle 

 without true spines. Gill rakers long. Dorsal fins well separated, the 

 first with 8 spines, the first and second short, the third and fourth longest; 

 anal with 3 spines, the second strong, the third long and slender, these fins 



