1286 Bulletin //, United States National Museum. 



longest soft ray 2 in head ; soft dorsal, anal and base of ventrals closely 

 covered with small scales ; caudal deeply forked, its peduncle slender, its 

 upper lobe Ij in head; pectorals long, pointed, If in head; ventrals reach- 

 ing slightly more than f distance to vent, lj{ in head; axillary scale of 

 ventrals well developed. Color grayish-black above, silvery below, with 

 about 7 distinct black, straight, parallel stripes on back and sides, which 

 extend across opercles and cheeks, those above lateral line indistinct in 

 old specimens ; the upper stripes about as wide as the interspaces, the 

 lower narrower; top of head with distinct stripes; fins dusky, except the 

 ventrals. Length about a foot. Galapagos Islands; locally common; 

 a remarkably graceful and active fish. (Named for Mrs. Jessie Knight 

 Jordan.) 



Xenocys jessice, JORDAN & BOLLMAN, Proc. TJ. S. Nat. Mus. 1889, 160, Charles Island, 

 Galapagos Archipelago (Type, No. 41166, TJ. S. N. M. Coll. Albatross) ; JORDAN, Proc. 

 Cal. Ac. Sci. 1896, 220, pi. 24. 



534. XENISTIUS, Jordan & Gilbert. 



Xenistius, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 920, 1883 (calif orniensis) . 



This genus is closely related to Xenichthys, but it is remarkably dis- 

 tinguished by the relative development of the vertical fins, the soft dorsal 

 and anal being similar to each other and shorter than the spinous dorsal. 

 One species known. (geVoS, strange; itiriov, sail, dorsal fin.) 



1658. XENISTIUS CALIFORNIENSIS (Steindaclmer). 



Head 3 to 3; depth 3 to 3. D. XI-1, 12; A. Ill, 10; scales, 7-52-13. 

 Body oblong-elliptical, the back a little elevated; head compressed; 

 mouth moderate, terminal, very oblique, the lower jaw strongly protrud- 

 ing; maxillary narrow, reaching front of pupil, 2 in head; eye large, 3 

 to 3^ in head, the eye smaller and the bones of the head firmer than in 

 Xenichthys xanti; teeth small, sharp, in very narrow bands, those on vomer 

 Lii a A-shaped patch, but so small as to be scarcely appreciable; preoper- 

 cle with fine sharp serrse ; nostrils small, round. Gill rakers long and 

 slender, 11 4- 15 to 20 ; scales small, firm ; dorsal fins almost separate ; spines 

 slender but pungent; third and fourth dorsal spines longest, If in head, 

 the others gradually shortened ; soft dorsal and anal similar to each other, 

 short, shorter than spinous dorsal, the anterior rays much higher than in 

 the species of Xenichthys; first soft ray of anal 3 in head; soft dorsal and 

 anal scaly; pectoral fins rather long, 1 in head, not reaching vent; color 

 bluish above, silvery below ; continuous dark orange brown stripes on 

 upper part of body, 3 above lateral line, 3 or 4 below ; upper fins dusky, 

 lower mostly pale. Length about a foot. Pacific coast of America from 

 San Diego southward to La Paz and Guayraas; rather common southward; 

 a pretty and interesting fish. 



Xenichthys calif orniensis, STEINDACHNER, Ichth. Beitrage, m, 3, 1875, San Diego; JOR- 



DAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 547. 

 Xenistius calif orniensis, JORDAN & FESLER, Review Sparoid Fishes, 460, 1893. 



