Mr. J. Y. Johnson on new Fishes from Madeira. 315 



A. B. 



inches. inches. 



Teeth, width of band in jaws ^ 



Rictus 2^'^^ 



Dorsal, distance from muzzle S| lOi 



, length of base 14 



, height in front 6 7\ 



Pectorals, distance from muzzle 7| 



, length 8| 



Ventrals, length \^ \\ 



Anal, length 10| 



, height in front 6 



, distance from muzzle 14^ 



Caudal, expanse , 12 12 



Scales of body, width 1| 



Fam. T^NiODE^ (Lophotid^, Giinther). 



LOPHOTES CRISTATUS, Sp. n. 



D. about 255. P. 13. V. 5. A. 19. C. 15. M. B. 6. 



Elongated, compressed, blade-like ; the hne of the unarmed belly 

 nearly straight; the back curving upwards slightly for the first 

 third, then falling gently to the tail. The height of the body, com- 

 pared with the length, is as I to 5^. The colour is uniformly a sil- 

 very grey, without spots. The body is clothed with simple scales, 

 which are buried in the skin, and set obliquely so as to give a reti- 

 culated appearance. They are rather large and very delicate. 



The head is short and unarmed ; it bears a high fleshy crest, the 

 horizontal line of which is straight with the back. This crest carries 

 the anterior portion of the dorsal fin, and it projects, at an acute 

 angle, beyond the vertical of the snout. At the angle rises a single 

 bony ray, which is equal in length to one-fourth of the total length 

 of the fish. A fringe of red membrane connects it with the dorsal 

 fin, of which it appears to be the first ray. The edges of the gill- 

 covers are simple, the bones radiate-striate. The round eye is large, 

 its diameter being contained three times in the head ; the iris is 

 silvery white, the pupil oval. The space intervening between it and 

 the front of the head above the jaw is much less than a diameter ; 

 but the space between the edge of the capital crest and the superior 

 part of the orbit is considerably more than a diameter. The space 

 between the eye and the snout is reddish and scaleless. The mouth 

 is oblique and rather small ; the rictus about two-thirds the diameter 

 of the eye, and its width almost equal to a diameter. There are 

 about four rows of small conical-pointed teeth, which curve back- 

 wards, at the front of the preraaxillary ; and about two rows of similar 

 teeth at the sides of the lower jaw, whilst in front they are crowded 

 four or five deep. Small teeth, very few in number, are planted on 

 the vomer and on the anterior extremities of the palatine bones ; but 

 there are none on the tongue. Inside the mouth, above and below, 

 there is stretched a black membrane from side to side. The maxil- 



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