1916] Huhbs: Marine Fislics of California 155 



single, instead of 3 in number, above and below each concealed scale ; 

 these scales are smaller, 120 instead of 68 ; and the lateral line ter- 

 minates opposite the middle, rather than the end, of the anal fin. 

 Genotype, Lestidiops sphyraenopsis, new species. 



Lestidiops sphjnraenopsis, new species 



Plate IS 



The type-specimen was seined near shore in Avalon Bay, Santa 

 Catalina Island, California, and was procured fi'om the Aquarium. It 

 is deposited in the fish collections of Stanford University (no. 22597). 



Body extremely elongate, deepest at the nape, attenuate poster- 

 iorly. Snout deep and long ; anterior orbital margin behind middle 

 of head; interorbital space flattish, the sides curved gently inward; 

 two low interorbital ridges, slightly convergent posteriorly ; premaxil- 

 laries forming margin of upper jaw ; maxillaries very slender, with 

 an accuminate tip not reaching to below orbit; preorbital groove 

 extended past anterior margin of orbit ; preraaxillaries with an an- 

 terior pair of moderate, curved, depressible canines, about half as 

 long as the mandibular canines; premaxillaries arched and toothless 

 before and between the canines, canine of each side followed by a 

 toothless space, as long as the canine, this space followed by a single 

 series of small retrorse teeth, evenly decreasing in size to the end of 

 the premaxillary ; mandible with a double series of teeth, 7 in each 

 series, the inner series composed of depressible canines, one-third as 

 long as orbit ; the outer series composed of short fixed teeth, one op- 

 posite each canine ; vomer and tongue toothless ; palatine teeth similar 

 to those of mandible, with 5 depressible canines, and a series of fixed 

 teeth, one opposite each canine, the outer series continued behind the 

 canines, along the trenchant edge of the palatine, extending as far 

 back as the premaxillary. Four long gills; the slit behind the last 

 about as wide as pupil; gill-rakers very short and spinous; pseudo- 

 branchiae developed ; 7 brauchiostegals. Photophores not evident on 

 type specimen. 



Pectoral inserted slightly below axis of body ; ventrals a little 

 behind middle of body; dorsals inserted well behind ventrals, the 

 interspace longer than the snout; oi'igiu of anal but little nearer 

 origin of dorsal than base of caudal; anal base half as long as the 

 distance between anal and ventrals; ventrals short, reaching about 

 half the distance from their base to anus, which is about midway 

 between insertion of anal and origin of dorsal. 



