Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 2081 



space; first dorsal with 5 to 7, usually 6 spines; anal begins 2 or 3 plates 

 in front of second dorsal ; pectorals 6 in length of body, their base 3 in 

 their length, the lower 5 or 6 rays exserted, separated from the upper by 

 a notch in the adult, the 2 or 3 uppermost of the exserted rays sometimes 

 longer than the longest upper rays; ventrals of female a little less than 

 long diameter of orbit, | as long as in male ; caudal 3 times as long as wide 

 at base; lateral line 39 to 41; pore plates thin, weak, spineless. Color 

 olive brownish, pale below, with 5 faint cross bars, 1 beneath first dorsal, 

 1 between dorsals, 1 beneath posterior part of second dorsal running up on 

 fin, 2 on peduncle; these bars often indistinct or absent; a blackish blotch 

 in axil ; caudal black, narrowly edged with white ; dorsals dusky, darker 

 toward tips, second dorsal narrowly white-edged; pectorals dusky; short, 

 black streaks 011 rays forming indefinite cross bars, those at base aggre- 

 gated into a blotch ; ventrals light in both sexes. Length 7 inches. Deep 

 waters of North Pacific, Bering Sea to San Diego, in 70 to 339 fathoms. 

 Here described from Dr. Gilbert's types, (nevre, five; axarQa, spine.) 



Xenochirus pentacanthus, GILBERT, Proc. TJ. S. 'Nat. Mus. 1890, 91, Bering Sea and off 

 San Diego. (Coll. Albatross.) 



2424. XEXOCH1RUS ALASCAXUS, Gilbert. 



Head 4| to 4 in length ; width of head equaling or slightly exceeding 

 length of snout and eye. Depth of body equaling length of snout and ^ 

 eye. Fin rays in 8 specimens as follows: 



Pectoral 15 or 16. Ventral I, 2. Lateral line 39 or 40. A decided pit 

 behind the eyes, and a deep transverse nuchal depression, the two separ- 

 ated by the prominent occipital region. Snout of moderate length, much 

 depressed behind the spines, 3f to 3f in head. Eye 3 in head in adults. 

 Interorbital space wider, much more deeply concave, the supraocular 

 ridges very heavy, minutely roughened, ending posteriorly in robust 

 spines. Rostral spines as in X. pentacanthus. A small apical plate bear- 

 ing 3 small diverging spines, behind which are 2 longer ones. Preor- 

 bital with a small spinous point directed backwards. A spine posteriorly 

 on bony bridge across cheek. Below this bridge, the cheek is entirely 

 mailed by 3 rounded plates which bear no spines, except in the young, 

 and so intimately joined that the sutures are difficult to discover. In 

 A', pcnl acanthus the plates are much smaller and do not entirely cover 

 the cheeks, leaving soft areas surrounding them; the 2 posterior plates 

 in this species also bear spines. Maxillary 3| in head, barely reaching 

 front of orbit. Teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatines, the usual row of 5 

 or 6 prickles on eyeball. Preoperole with 3 diverging spines at angle, a 

 rounded lobe beneath them ; spines and ridges otherwise as in X. penta- 



