Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 2163 



2491. PRIOXOTUS ALBIROSTRIS, Jordan & Bollman. 



Head 3 in length (3f with caudal); depth 4 (5f); eye rather large, 4-J- 

 in head. D. X-12; A. 11; pores along lateral line 50 to 55. Body moder- 

 ately elongate, little compressed, narrowed above, the width of the nape 

 between the occipital spines being 4| in head ; head rather short and high ; 

 eyes prominent, the anterior profile regularly concave, the eyes and fore- 

 head less prominent than in P. rubio. Snout broad, its breadth at angle 

 of mouth almost equal to its length, 2 in head, its anterior margin not 

 produced, but slightly emarginate; serrsB short and even, bluntish, about 

 20 well developed ; whole edge of preorbital with fine seme. Anterior 

 nostril with a large flap. Surface of bones of head with strong radiating 

 strife, those in front of eyes most broken up into granulations. Mouth 

 moderate, maxillary 2f in head, not reaching front of eye; band of pala- 

 tine teeth rather broad. Interorbital space narrow, deeply concave, 

 smoother than rest of head, its least width 6 in head ; orbital rim ele- 

 vated, with coarse spine-like striae in front, inner largest, forming the 

 preocular spine ; upper margin with moderate, strong seme ending behind 

 in a large, supraocular spine ; no groove across top of head behind orbital 

 rim ; occipital ridges strong, the inner pair with a few asperities at base, 

 ending in a compressed spine, the outer with stronger seme at base and 

 extending to opposite first dorsal spine ; temporal ridge slightly crenulate, 

 with 2 blunt spines; preopercular spine without a smaller one at base, but 

 with a high sharp ridge before it, serrulate at base, this ridge not ending 

 in a distinct spine; edge serrulate; suborbital stay with an elevated ser- 

 rulate ridge, but no spine; opercular spine small and blunt, smaller than 

 the strong humeral spine ; no spines on suborbital or preorbital ; membra- 

 naceous flap of opercle scaly. Gill rakers rather short, longer than inter- 

 spaces, the longest rather less than eye, 5 most strongly developed. 

 Scales small, those on belly smaller than those on breast, not extending 

 before a line drawn between base of pectorals and ventrals ; about 7 scales 

 between occiput and dorsal; spinous dorsal moderately high, the first 

 spine very strongly serrulate in front, shorter than second, which is 

 head ; first ray of second dorsal serrulate at base, the longest ray very 

 slightly longer than snout; longest anal ray 3 in head; caudal subtrun- 

 cate, 1^ in head ; pectorals long, reaching to the last dorsal ray or even 

 farther in young specimens, Ii y -in body; ventrals reaching third anal ray, 

 1 in head. Coloration in spirits, grayish, unspotted, darkest above, and 

 with darker cross shades; snout and jaws white; the tip of each jaw, a 

 bar across each jaw, and 1 behind angle of mouth, black; a black bar on 

 anterior and another on posterior part of interorbital, the latter extend- 

 ing across the cheek; first dorsal dusky, vaguely clouded with darker; 

 second irregularly spotted, its posterior half dusky ; caudal broadly black 

 at base and tip, its middle part yellowish ; pectorals dark, with a slight 

 violet shade and traces of darker mottlings; middle of anal dusky; 

 ventrals dusky on upper surface. Pacific coast of tropical America; 

 taken at Albatross Station 3014, in Gulf of California ; also known from sev- 

 eral specimens, the largest 5 inches long, dredged at Albatross Station 2795, 

 at a depth of 33 fathoms. It approaches Prionotus quiescens in technical 



