2180 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



mandible with 2 groups of barbels, 1 on each side of its lower edge ; length 

 of longest barbel equaling that of eye; barbels subdivided into several 

 fringes, the number of barbels on each side of the mandible may be 

 divided up into 8 or 9 clusters ; mandible extending to vertical through 

 front of eye; 26 gill rakers on first arch, the longest half as long as eye. 

 Longitudinal diameter of eye nearly equal to width of interorbital space; 

 greatest width of head over preorbital ridge | length of snout includ- 

 ing the preorbital extension. . Spinous dorsal originating directly above 

 end of the opercular flap ; the first spine slightly the longest, its length 

 equaling length of snout and its projecting spine, also short diameter of 

 eye ; longest ray of second dorsal nearly J length of head ; least height of 

 tail \ length of eye. Anal origin under second ray of soi't dorsal, the fin 

 extending as far back as the dorsal, the length of its base being 4 times the 

 width of interorbital area, the rays about as long as those of second dorsal : 

 length of middle caudal rays f length of eye, the fin being emarginate ; 

 ventral base under pectoral base, the fin reaching to vent, its length 

 twice that of eye ; pectoral short, reaching to below eighth scute of the 

 lateral line, the longest detached ray reaching to below the ninth scute 

 of the lateral line, its length equaling \ length of head ; 30 scutes in the 

 lateral line. Color (of alcoholic specimen) very light yellow, a broad pearly 

 band along the sides; back stippled with light brownish; pectorals with 

 dark mottlings. Gulf of Mexico. Known from 1 specimen, 5 inches long. 

 (Goode & Bean.) (gracilis, slender.) 



Peristedion gracile, GOODE & BEAN, Ocean Ichthyology, 473, pi. cxiv, fig. 387, 1896, Gulf of 

 Mexico, in 142 fathoms, 28 28' 30" N., 85 52' 30" W., at Albatross Station 249. 



2508. PERISTEDIOff PLATYCEPHALUM, Goode & Bean. 



D. VIII-17; A. 17. Body much depressed, its greatest height 6 in body 

 length, 6| in total. Length of head without prolongations, twice the 

 height of body, 3| in its length, with prolongations 2-J- in body length. 

 Interorbital space deeply concave, the supraorbital margin being swollen, 

 its width equal to the long diameter of the eye. No protuberance on the 

 forehead, which is much depresssd, its outline descending abruptly and 

 rapidly in front of the eyes. A ridge below the eye, not armed; a small 

 vertical spine behind each nostril. Stout spines upon the operculum and 

 several npon the vertex. The length of the snout, with its extensions, is 

 the length of the head, its processes about 3 in its own length. The 

 processes are flat, triangular, diverging slightly, the distance apart of 

 their tips 2 to 2J- that at their bases. A ridge extending backward from 

 base of each process along the lower edge of the preoperculum, ending 

 behind in a sharp, flat spine; the greatest width of the expanded portion, 

 on the preoperculum, only as wide as the eye; beneath this another 

 less conspicuous ridge with minutely serrated edge, which is double in 

 front and single behind, the 2 portions separated by a slight notch. Jaws 

 normal, the 2 tentacles much fringed, their length not much exceeding the 

 diameter of the eye ; between them, and placed about equidistant from 

 each, are 2 bunches of short tentacles, about 4 in each. Chin with numer- 



