1502 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum, 



caudal and anal edged with blackish. Length 10 inches. Coast of Cali- 

 fornia, Cape Disappointment to Todos Santos Bay ; on sandy shores in the 

 surf, everywhere common, (argenteus, silvery.) 



Hyperprosopon argenteum, GIBBONS, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1854, 105, San Francisco. 

 Hyperprosopon argenteum punctatum, GIBBONS, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1854, 106, San 



Francisco. 



Hyperprosopon arcuatum, GIBBONS, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1854, 125, San Francisco. 

 Holconotus megalops, GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1854, 152, Presidio ; Humboldt 



Bay ; Astoria. 



Ennichthys megalops, GIRARD, TJ. S. Pacific K. K. Surv., x, Fish., 197, 1858. 

 Bramopsis mento (AGASSIZ MS.) ALEXANDER AGASSIZ, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., vui. 



1861, 133, no locality given. 



Hyperprosopon argenteus and arcuatus, GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862, 276. 

 Ditrema arcuatum and Ditrema megalops, GUNTHER, Cat., iv, 249. 



1887. HYPERPROSOPON AGASSIZII, Gill. 



Head 3; depth 2. D. IX, 25; A. Ill, 29; lateral line 60. Body elliptic- 

 ovate, the profile nearly straight from the snout to above the occiput, 

 there forming a slight angle, thence straightish to the base of dorsal; 

 ventral outline variable, sometimes strongly arched ; mouth small, very 

 oblique, the premaxillary on a level of the middle of the pupil, the max- 

 illary scarcely reaching front of pupil; eye ^ longer than the snout; gill 

 rakers not quite as long as the diameter of the pupil, about 17 on the lower 

 part of arch; 3 rows of scales on cheek; sixth dorsal spine highest, 

 higher than the soft rays ; third anal spine much the longest, about ^ as 

 long as first rays; pectorals falcate, reaching the vertical from tip of ven- 

 trals, which about reach to vent; origin of ventral spine about 2 scales 

 behind the vertical from posterior end of pectoral base. Length 8 inches. 

 Coast of California, San Francisco to Santa Barbara; not generally 

 abundant; most common along San Luis Obispo County. (Named for 

 Alexander Agassiz, who published in 1861 an excellent review of the 

 species of this family.) 

 Hyperprosopon arcuatus, ALEXANDER AGASSIZ, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. 1861, 125; not 



of GIBBONS. 



Hyperprosopon agassizii, GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862, 276, California. 

 Amphysticus agassizi, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 592. 

 Hyperprosopon agassizi, EIGENMANN & ULREY, I, c., 387. 



605. HOLCONOTUS, Agassiz. 



Holconotus, AGASSIZ, Amer. Journ. Sci. Arts, xvn, May, 1854, 367 (rhodoterus) . 

 Cymatogaster, GIBBONS, Daily Placer Times and Transcript, June 21, 1854 (not May 18, 1854) 

 (pulchellus) . 



This genus differs from Amphistichm chiefly in the absence of a frenum 

 to the lower lip. Vertebrae 14 -{-18=32; gill rakers stout and bJunt. 

 Body subelliptical, moderately compressed; anal fin as in Amphistichus ; 

 its basis below 11 vertebrae. One species. (oA.xog, groove; yo&ro, back.) 



1888. HOLCONOTUS RHODOTERUS, Agassiz. 



Head 3|; depth 2. D. IX or X, 26; A. Ill, 29; lateral line 69. Body 

 deeper, more elevated, and less compressed than in Hyperprosopon, form 

 ovate, dorsal and ventral outlines equally curved; profile nearly straight 



