SPAROID FISHES OF AMERICA AND EUROPE. AY 
Subfamily III._XENICHTHYINZ. 
IX. XENOCYS. 
Xenocys Jordan & Bollman, Proc. U. S. N. M. 1889, 160 (jessie). 
Type: Xenocys jessie Jordan & Bollman, 
Etymology: Févoc, strange; «zis, swift. 
This genus is closely related to Yenistius. The single species inhabits 
rocky shores in the eastern Pacific and is a fish of remarkably grace- 
ful form. 
ANALYSIS OF SPECIES OF XENOCYS. 
a. Body elliptical, compressed ; mouth moderate, the lower jaw projecting, the broad 
maxillary reaching nearly to the middle of pupil, 2? in head; eye large, its 
length less than snout, 34 in head; preorbital narrow, 2% in eye, entire; teeth 
"very small, the bands wider than in Nenistius californiensis; those on yomer in a 
A-shaped patch; nostrils minute, close together, the anterior round, the poste- 
rior oblong; preopercle with fine serre, the lower bluntish; opercle without 
spines; gill-rakers long and slender, x-++23; cheeks and top of head with small 
scales; lower jaw and snout with rudimentary scales; maxillary naked; scales 
on body small, firm, ctenoid; dorsal fins wholly separate, the spines slender and 
pungent, the fourth half of head; soft dorsallonger than anal, its base 4 of an 
eye’s diameter shorter than spinous dorsal; third anal spine longest, 4 in head; 
soft parts of vertical fins covered with small scales; caudal deeply forked, its 
peduncle slender, the upper lobe 14 in head; pectorals long, pointed, 12 in head; 
color grayish black, silvery below, with 7 distinct straight parallel stripes on ° 
back and sides, extending forward on top and sides of head; fins dusky, except 
the ventrals. Head, 3} in length; depth 23. D. x-1, 13; A. m1, 11. Seales, 
‘o=1i,) 3 bse ee eae Sees an See nate bigcs a Sakish seeieais a ioseeie sets JESSIE, 29. 
29. XBENOCYS JESSIA. 
Xenocys jessie Jordan & Bollman, Proc. U. 8. N. M. 1889, 160 (Charles Island). 
Habitat: Galapagos Islands. ; 
Etymology: Named for Mrs. Jessie Knight Jordan. 
This species is known from numerous specimens (41166, U.S. N. M.), 
the longest 84 inches long, taken by the Albatross at Charles Island, 
one of the Galapagos. 
X. XENISTIUS. 
Xenistius Jordan & Gilbert, Syn. Fish. N. A., 1883, 920 (californiensis). 
Type: Xenichthys californiensis Steindachner. 
Etymology: &é0s, strange; fazéov, sail, dorsal fin. 
This genus contains, so far as known, but a single species. It is closely 
related to Xenichthys, but it is remarkably distinguished by the relative 
development of the vertical fins. . 
