Jorda n and Everma n n . Fishes of North A merica . 2013 



Olivaceous, sometimes very pale, sometimes nearly black, occasionally 

 dashed with reddish, much mottled, and with numerous small black and 

 white spots; about 5 irregular darker bars; a dark bar at base of caudal; 

 fins all spotted; cirri very numerous, mostly whitish, giving the fish a 

 woolly appearance in life. Length 3 to 7 inches. Coast of California; 

 abundant in rock pools from Monterey southward to Lower California, 

 farther south than any other of the California Cottidw. (analis, from the 

 large anal papilla.) 



Oligocottus analis, G-IRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1857, 201, Monterey (Coll. A. S. 



Taylor. Typo, No. 486, TJ. S. Nat. Mus.) ; GIRARD, U. S. Pac. R. R. Surv., x, Fishes, 



57, 1858; JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 718, 1883. 

 Cottus criniger, GUNTHER, Cat., n, 522, 1860, Monterey, California 

 Centridennichthys analis, GUNTHER, Cat., n, 171, 1860. 

 Clinocottus analis, JORDAN & EVERMANN, Check-List Fishes North and Middle America, 



444, 1896. 



745. OLIGOCOTTUS, Girard. 



Oligocottus, GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1856, 133 (inaculosug). 



Body rather elongate, the skin smooth; preopercular spine slender and 

 sharp, simple or with a single antler-like process above; small tentacles 

 on head and anterior parts of body; gill membranes broadly united, free 

 from the isthmus; slit behind fourth gill small or obsolete; dorsal spines 

 slender, the iin short and not emarginate; anal papilla of male large; 

 ventrals I, 3. Small fishes of the North Pacific, inhabiting rock pools 

 between tide marks, the very smallest of the CoUldce, (oXiyoS, small; 

 Coitus.') 



a. Preopercular spine bifid, having a process directed upward in addition to the pointed 



spine; D. VIII, 16; A. 12 to U. 



b First dorsal without ocellate spot ; head with many cirri ; male with the anterior 



rays of anal enlarged and detached. MACULOSUS, 2381. 



bb. First dorsal with a black ocellus; cirri on head few; anal fin in males with the 



anterior rays not especially enlarged or detached. BOREALIS, 2382. 



2381. OLIGOCOTTUS MACULOSUS, Girard. 



(JOHNNY.) 



Head 3; depth 4. D. VIII-16; A. 12 to 14. Head slender, narrowed 

 above, the snout rather pointed; maxillary reaching pupil; top of head 

 with several scattered cirri; a few on sides of head; cirri on lateral line 

 anteriorly and on front of back, also along base of dorsals. No scales or 

 prickles anywhere ; preopercular spine forked ; front rays of anal enlarged 

 and detached in males; anal papilla large (in males); pectorals reaching 

 well beyond front of anal. Usual color, reddish brown, varying to gray, 

 intense green or crimson according to surroundings, the vivid colors devel- 

 oped in the presence of similarly colored alga 1 ,; fins all barred; belly 

 usually livid bluish or greenish ; lower side of head with white mottlings. 

 Length 2 to 3 inches. Pacific coast, from Cape Mendocino to Point Con- 

 cepcion, rather common ; one of the smallest of the marine Cottidw, a bright- 

 colored inhabitant of rock pools, (maculosus, spotted.) 



