2072 Bulletin ^7, United States National Museum. 



spines, which are present though small in the ventral series; middle of 

 breast with 1 median and 2 lateral series of plates, all of which bear distinct 

 longitudinal keels ; the 2 lateral ridges on breast being the anterior contin- 

 uation of the ventral ridges of the trunk ; spinous dorsal beginning at the 

 seventh dorsal plate, the last dorsal spine articulating with the thirteenth 

 plate; the first and last rays of the second dorsal articulate respectively 

 with the eighteenth and twenty-fourth plates ; the dorsal series unite at the 

 thirtieth plate, the median series of 9 plates thus formed bearing double or 

 bifid spines throughout ; the first and the last anal rays articulating respec- 

 tively with the sixteenth and twenty-third plates of ventral series (ex- 

 cluding the anterior 3 on breast) ; the ventral series coalescing immediately 

 opposite the union of the dorsal series ; the anus is opposite the inter- 

 space between the third and fourth plates ; ventral spines long and slen- 

 der, equaling length of snout and eye ; pectorals equaling length of head 

 in advance of opercular joint; five lower pectoral rays with incised 

 membranes, the tips projecting. Color, similar to A. emmelane, the back 

 and sides with 7 or 8 narrow black cross bars, the posterior of which 

 extend faintly on the under surface ; the interspaces on back are some- 

 what dusky, with lighter vermiculating lines and spots, a few of which 

 extend on the bars; the dorsals have a speckled appearance and are 

 darker when they lie above the black dorsal bars ; head blackish above, 

 the head and body light or slightly dusky below; ventrals white; anal 

 white, with some black markings along the base of the rays; pectorals 

 with a wide black bar at base succeeded by a wide white bar; then 

 follow a narrower black bar and a narrow terminal white bar; caudal 

 with a narrow basal bar of black, then a narrow white bar followed by a 

 broad black bar and edged with white. Coast southern California, Coro- 

 nado Island, The type, a specimen 4| inches long, from Albatross Station 

 3662. (sterletus, sturgeon ; a modern Latin word, probably derived from 

 Sturw.) (Type in U. S. Nat. Mus. Coll. Albatross.) 



Averruncus tsterletus, GILBERT MS., off Avalon, Coronado Island, in 47 fathoms. 



771. SARRITOR, Cramer. 

 Sarritor, CRAMER, in Jordan & Everraann, Check-List Fishes, 448, 1896 (frenatus). 



Body tapering uniformly to base of caudal ; head 4 to 4|, depth 6 to 8 

 in standard length. Plates on body nearly all without spines. Plates in 

 dorsal series 38 to 45, 5 to 6 pairs between occiput and first dorsal. No 

 large knife-like plate over eye. Both dorsal fins present, rather long, the 

 rays growing shorter behind the last adnate to back. Four to 6 pairs of 

 barbels about mouth, 1 pair under tip of snout. A pair of recurved spines 

 near tip of snout. One pair of supraocular and 1 or 2 pairs of occipital 

 spines. Teeth on jaws and vomer, none on palatines. Gill membranes 

 joined to isthmus, without free fold; no barbels on gill membranes. 

 Lower rays of pectorals with free exserted tips. Vertebra} 40 to 46. This 

 genus is very close both to Podothecus and to Odontopyxis, differing 'from 

 the former in the presence of vomerine teeth, and from the latter in the 

 absence of a free median plate at the tip of the snout. Its relations to 



