MISTICHTHYS 95 



Genus 21. MISTICHTHYS H. M. Smith 



Mistichthys H. M. SMITH, Science N. S. 15 (1902) 30; Bull. U. S. 

 Fish Comm. 21 (1902) 167. 



The body elongate, compressed, head rather large ; dorsal fins 

 widely separated, the first very low, of three weak spines joined 

 by a membrane, the second dorsal high, with one spine and six 

 to eight branched rays; anal fin similar to second dorsal, I, 8 

 to 10; pectorals long, pointed; ventrals I, 5, coalescent, not 

 adnate to abdomen; caudal well developed, blunt or truncate; 

 a single row of rather long, curved, conical teeth in each jaw; 

 scales large, ctenoid, 20 to 25 in a longitudinal series, the head 

 naked ; gill membranes joined to isthmus ; a large genital papilla 

 in each sex; coloration plain; size minute, the males rather 

 smaller than the females. 



A Philippine genus with but one singular species. 



St. MISTICHTHYS LUZONENSIS H. M. Smith 



PLATE 7, FIG. 1 



Mistichthys luzonensis H. M. SMITH, Science N. S. 15 (1902) 30; 

 Bull. U. S. Fish Comm. 21 (1902) 167, 22 plates and 2 text figures. 



Bicol name, sinarapan. 



Dorsal III, 1-6 to 8 ; anal I, 8 to 10 ; there are 23 or 24 scales 

 in a longitudinal series and 6 in a transverse series. 



The body elongated, subcylindrical anteriorly, posterior half 

 laterally compressed, dorsal profile nearly horizontal, belly con- 

 vex, depth 3.9 to 4.1 in length, females slightly deeper than males ; 

 the head large, gently convex above, round pointed, 3.3 times 

 in length ; the short, bluntly pointed snout gently curved or with 

 an anterior hump, its length % the diameter of eye; the eyes 

 large, lateral, 3.1 to 4 times in head ; the interorbital space about 

 twice in eye; the mouth large, strongly oblique, lower jaw 

 projecting, posterior angle of maxillary beneath anterior or 

 central part of eye; the body covered with readily deciduous 

 scales, which extend forward of first dorsal as far as posterior 

 margin of opercle, but head entirely naked; the dorsals far 

 apart, the distance between them a little less than half the length 

 of head ; the first dorsal low, of weak spines, their height varying 

 from less than half to more than an eye diameter; the second 

 dorsal and anal similar in shape, their origins opposite, but 

 base of anal longer ; the anterior rays of second dorsal twice as 

 long as the last two; the anal rays all about the same height 

 except the last two, which are much shorter; the longest rays 



