2018 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum, 



748. HISTIOCOTTUS, Gill. 



Peropus, LAY & BENNETT, Beechey's Voy., Zool., Fish., 59, 1839 (bilobus) ; name preoccupied. 

 Histiocottus, GILL, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1888, 573 (bilobus). 



This genus is very close to Blepsias, from which it differs in the absence 

 of smooth areas on the body; the fins are lower, the dorsal not emargi- 

 nate, and the pectoral much larger, perhaps capable of being used for 

 flight. North Pacific. (itiTior, sail; Coitus.) 



2386. HISTIOCOTTUS BILOBUS (Cuvier & Valenciennes). 



D. IX, 21; A. 18; P. 16. Body shorter and deeper than in Blepsias cirrho- 

 sus, with thicker caudal peduncle and heavier head, the bones less firm; 

 snout short, obtuse, interorbital space very wide, concave, -J- wider than 

 the small eye; short occipital ridges present, besides several bluntish 

 tubercles. Mouth broad, oblique, the maxillary reaching pupil; teeth 

 small, distant; barbels as in cirrhosus. Head and body covered with 

 prickles, larger and blunter than in cirrhosus; no naked patches on body ; 

 fins less developed than in cirrliosus; first 5 or 6 spines of dorsal subequal, 

 the last 3 abruptly shorter; pectorals longer and much broader than in 

 cirrhosus, reaching seventh anal ray; caudal short, much shorter than 

 head. Olivaceous, paler below; dorsal region with 4 or 5 black bars, 

 reaching the distance to the lateral line, and somewhat continued on the 

 fins; caudal with a black bar at base, otherwise plain; pectorals and anal 

 blotched with black. Coast of Alaska and Kamchatka, not very common ; 

 the specimen here described from Kadiak. (bilobus, two-lobed.) 



Blepsias bilobus, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iv, 379, 1829, Kamchatka 

 (Coll. M. Collee, Brit. Mus.) ; GUNTHER, Cat., n, 153, I860; JORDAN & GILBERT, Synop- 

 sis, 720, 1883. 



Peropus bilobus, BENNETT, Beechey's Voy., Zool., Fish., 59, 1839. 



749. BLEPSIAS, Cuvier. 



Blepsias, CUVIER, Regne Animal, Ed. 2, 1829 (drrhosus). 



Head and body compressed; skin hispid with stififish villiform prickles, 

 and with definitely naked areas ; snout and chin with several rather long 

 barbels; mouth small; teeth villiform, on jaws, vomer, and palatines; 

 preopercle with 2 short blunt spines ; gill membranes free from the isth- 

 mus; gills 4, a slit behind the fourth; top of head with bony ridges; sub- 

 orbital stay narrow ; first dorsal short, elevated in front, emarginate, the 

 spines slender; second dorsal large; anal similar, lower; ventrals very 

 short, I, 3; pectorals long. North Pacific. (An old name of some fish; 

 from fih7t(&, look.) 



2387. BLEPSIAS CIRKHOSUS (Pallas). 



HeadSf; depth 3|. D.V-III,23; A. 20; P. 12; scales 50. Supraocular 

 ridovs well developed; interorbital space concave, with 2 low ridges 

 extending backward from nasal spines, diverging toward occipital ridges ; 

 the latter large, partly interrupted; suborbital stay conspicuous; tempo- 



