Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 2037 



2399. AOOXOMALUS PROBOSCIDALIS (Valenciennes). 



Height of body 5 in total length; greatest width of abdomen fj- of 

 height. Br. 6; D. VIII, 6; A. 12; P. 11; V. 3 (I, 2); C. 2-11-2. Body 

 slender, compressed. Side of body throughout its length with 2 rows of 

 spinons plates, 1 above and 1 below lateral line, the plates oval, radially 

 striated, the spines high, curved, compressed upon middle of plates. 

 Behind pectoral girdle, between first plates of superior and inferior 

 spiuous series, a circular striated plate with a small spine; a small spine 

 upon a plate on the pectoral girdle above insertion of pectoral fin. Sides 

 between lateral spinous series a little concave. The rounded, somewhat 

 prominent abdomen with small striated plates armed with low blunt 

 tubercles. Profile of body rising vertically behind nape and under first 

 spine of first dorsal, running in a straight line to second dorsal, rising a 

 little under this fin, and descending gradually to caudal. Inferior profile 

 nearly rectilinear. Head small, compressed, with a thick long median 

 barbel at tip of snout; supraocular ridges high, passing down anterior 

 border of orbit ; the supraocular spines large, fiat, thin; interorbital space 

 deeply concave, with a small longitudinal ridge; nasal spines present; a 

 pair of occipital spines present; also a suprascapular tubercle; none on 

 opercle, but a large, oblong, compressed spine on preopercle and 1 on 

 siiborbital; eye large, circular, 4 in head. The preorbital with ridges, 

 ending at its lower border in strong denticulations. Mouth small; lower 

 jaw shorter than the upper; teeth excessively small ; none on palatines. 

 Spines of first dorsal large, curved, and higher than the body beneath 

 them ; second dorsal lower, its rays strong and curved ; anal very long ; 

 caudal narrow and rounded; pectoral very large, its longest rays equal to 

 longest spines of first dorsal; rays simple and rough; ventrals small. 

 Lateral line indicated by a series of small longitudinal " traits" set off on 

 naked space between the 2 longitudinal series of large spinous plates (after 

 Valenciennes). Guichenot says the total length is scarcely 6 inches 

 (16 cm.). His figure, which seems to be good, furnishes the following 

 facts: About 7 plates of the superior lateral series between the adjacent 

 rays of first and second dorsals, and about 2 between posterior edge of 

 membrane of first dorsal and first ray of second dorsal; 10 plates from 

 last ray of second dorsal to base of caudal. A small but distinct tubercle 

 or spine posteriorly at base of supraocular spine. Occipital spine appar- 

 ently very close to elevated part of back, but distinct ; in front of its base 

 a small but distinct tubercle, as in Hypsayonus quadricornis. Spines of 

 first dorsal all exserted, the first for about of its length; all rays of 

 anal exserted, the anterior 3 or 4 for about of their length ; posterior 

 anal rays (except the last) longest; all rays of pectoral considerably 

 exserted (about i of their length) ; 27 spinous plates in the series above 

 lateral line, 30 in the series below lateral line. One specimen known, 

 taken in 1 of the coves of the Port of the Emperor Nicolas, Gulf of Tar- 

 tary (Nicolaevsk, mouth of Amur River, west of the Island of Saghalien). 

 (Guichenot.) (proboscidalis, bearing a proboscis ; in allusion to the promi- 

 nent barbel on snout.) 



