Jordan and Ever mann. Fishes of North America. 1907 



specimens being at hand for comparison. Head evenly rounded in all 

 directions, the orbital region not elevated, the snout not angulated; 

 mouth slightly larger in males than in females, reaching vertical from 

 middle or posterior margin of pupil, 2| to 2^ in head; lower jaw shorter 

 than the upper, a portion of the premaxillary band of teeth projecting 

 beyond the mandible in closed mouth; teeth cardiform, in rather broad 

 bands on jaws, and in patches of varying si/e on vomer and palatines; in 

 sonic specimens a few teeth occur in a single convex series on front of 

 vomer, and but 3 or 4 form a line on palatines; in others, we find an irreg- 

 ular double series or a narrow band on each of these bones; the teeth are 

 always strong and are probably in adult specimens never entirely want- 

 ing on either vomer or palatines; longitudinal diameter of orbit 3 in 

 head; interorbital space very narrow, shallowly concave, entirely occu- 

 pied by the supraocular canals, which unite in a single pore opposite 

 posterior margin of orbit; least interocular width f pupil; premaxillary 

 processes projecting but little beyond the profile; nasal spines very small; 

 both pairs of nostrils in short tubes, the posterior situated on anterior 

 orbital rim; occiput with 2 very inconspicuous low rounded ridges, 

 appreciated with difficulty, and sometimes entirely wanting. No trace of 

 the occipital spine seen in Massachusetts specimens of Artediellus atlan- 

 ticu-Sj nor of the conical protuberances described and figured by Collett. 

 Barbels numerous; maxillary barbel large and conspicuous, sometimes 

 simple, more often compound, furnished with from 1 to 4 short lateral 

 branches; a well- developed supraocular cirrus, and a pair of cirri on pos- 

 terior margin of occiput, the latter occupying the position of occipital 

 spines; a short cirrus near base of opercular flap, aud 2 or 3 on preopercle, 

 2 of which are usually at base of the preopercular spines; 2 cirri on ante- 

 rior part of trunk, 1 immediately above base of pectorals, the other half- 

 way between lateral line and front of spiuous dorsal ; sometimes additional 

 cirri above front of lateral line, and on lower margin of subocular ring; 

 a series of 4 or 5 very short cirri crossing the eye horizontally immediately 

 above the pupil; gill membranes broadly united, joined to the isthmus 

 anteriorly, with a wide free margin; gills 3|, no slit or pore behind last 

 arch ; preopercular spines as in Artediellus uncinatus, the upper one with- 

 out smaller basal spine. Dorsal fins well separated, low in females, 

 extraordinarily developed in males, the spinous dorsal in the latter well 

 overlapping front of second dorsal and having all of the spines exserted, 

 the median ones for ^ their length ; these exserted' spines with their free 

 portions narrowly margined with membrane which widens at their tips 

 to form a cutaneous flap; soft dorsal also somewhat elevated in males; 

 ventral fins reaching halfway to vent in females, about f this distance in 

 males. A series of 5 wide mucous slits running along lower edge of sub- 

 orbital ring and across cheek; pores of lateral line minute, at the ends of 

 short downwardly directed branches, the main line opening in a large 

 slit-like pore at base of caudal. Color much as in Artediellus uncinatus, 

 the lower parts whitish, unmarked, the dorsal region of the trunk crossed 

 by 3 wide dark bars, which often, in adults, break Tip into spots separated 

 by vermiculations of the lighter ground color, 1 of these bars below the 



