3190 Bulletin ^7, United States National Museum. 



the large specimen just described, except that the crossbars on body are 

 more distinct. 



This species most closely resembles M. Mmaculatus Steindachuer, from 

 which it differs in the larger head, greater depth, smaller mouth, nar- 

 rower interorbital, and in the color. The tips of the anal rays are not 

 white, the soft dorsal is spotted like the caudal and anal, and there are 

 no white spots on base of pectoral, as is said to be the case in J/. 

 bimaculatits. 



Puerto Rico; known from the 1 specimens mentioned above, all ob- 

 tained by the U. S. Fish Commission expedition to Puerto Rico. 

 Malacoctenus puertoricensis, EVERMANN <fe MARSH, Kept. TJ. S. Fish Com. 1899 (Dec. 19 

 1899), 358, Hucares, P. R. (Type, Xo. 49371, U.S.N.M. Coll. Evermann &. Marsh.) 



Page 2369. Before Auchenoplerus, Giinther, insert : 



878 (a). AUCHENISTIUS, Evermann & Marsh. 



Auchenittius, EVERMANN & MARSH, Kept. U. S. Fish Com. 1899 (Dec. 19, 1899), 359 (stahli). 



This genus has the form of Auchenopterua and suggests that genus 

 strongly. It differs in the absence of a lateral line, in the much smaller 

 scales, in the absence of a notch at the front of the dorsal fin, and in the 

 union of the membrane of the anal lin with that of the caudal. 



(avx i ? y ) nape; i6riov, sail or tin.) 



2711 (a). AUCHEMSTICS STAHLI, Evermann & Marsh. 



Head 5; depth 6.5; eye 4.8; snout 6; maxillary 2.8; scales about 58, 

 about 12 in transverse series; D. XLI or XLII; A. n, 23 or 24; pectoral 2.5; 

 ventral 2.2; caudal 1.3. 



Body elongate, somewhat compressed, especially posteriorly, the dorsal 

 and ventral outlines alike ; head small, upper profile straight and descend- 

 ing; snout moderate, pointed; mouth large, the maxillary reaching to or 

 beyond middle of eye; the jaws equal, heavy and projecting; teeth in 

 lower jaw conical, short and strong, slightly recurved, in one row; teeth 

 in upper jaw similar to those in lower, but a small patch of smaller teeth 

 in front of jaw behind the main row; teeth on vomer; gill-membranes 

 joined to the isthmus; nostrils with short tubes, a single flap above each 

 eye and one on each side of nape; dorsal fin long, of spines only; last 

 four spines some vhat longer than the preceding, forming a shallow notch, 

 a feature lacking in the other examples; anal origin about midway 

 between tip of snout and tip of caudal, the fin similar to dorsal in shape, 

 but sopiewhat lower; membrane of dorsal and anal joined to caudal; 

 caudal small, pointed; pectoral small, of 8 rays; ventral small, of 2 rays. 



Color in spirits; Body everywhere with a very slight yellowish tinge, 

 in some specimens a faded gray; one specimen has traces of 10 or 12 dark 

 crossbars; fins all pale, in one case with the dorsal and anal dark-edged. 

 Puerto Rico; known from the type, a specimen 1.2 inches long, obtained 

 by the U. S. Fish Commission expedition to Puerto Rico, February 1, 1899, 

 at Ponce, and 13 cotypes, 8 from the coral and alga3 on the reefs at the 

 mouth of Culebra harbor, and 5 from Puerto Real. 



