1916] Huhbs: Marine Fishes of California 167 



mud. 0. scrippsi is not closely related to 0. taylori, having fewer gill- 

 rakers, a longer head, a more robust form, and plain coloration. It 

 is more closely related to 0. galeoieles (Gilbert) and to 0. inelefatig- 

 ahile Jordan and Bollman, but differs from them in the longer head, 

 smaller eye, plain coloration, and the long, slender gill-rakei-s. There 

 are 5 instead of 4 gill-rakers on the lower limb of the first arch, and the 

 longest is more than one-third as long as eye; while the short, broad 

 gill-rakers of the related species are contained about 5.33 in the eye. 



Form of body as in related species, the depth 5.7 in length without 

 caudal ; greatest depth at origin of dorsal ; body moderately compressed 

 anteriorly, rather sharply compressed posteriorl.v. 



Upper profile of head convex, not greatly curved from eye to 

 occiput ; snout moderately blunt, 4.75 in head to upper angle of gill 

 opening; head. 4.5 in length without caudal; eye nearly round, 4.2 in 

 head ; interorbital spece flattish, widening rather abruptly posteriorly, 

 its least width 1.5 in eye; lower jaw included; maxillary, 2.75 in head; 

 preorbital width, 2.6 in eye. Teeth rather small, in narrow baud.s on 

 jaws and palatines, and in a triangular patch on vomer ; the outer pre- 

 maxillary series a little enlarged. Nostrils without conspicuous flaps, 

 the two nearly evenly spaced between margin of eye and tip of snout ; 

 operele ending in a sharp, flat, concealed spine; gill-rakers rather 

 slender, the longest, at angle, nearly as long as pupil, almost one-third 

 as long as eye; 3 tubercles on upper limb of gill arch, 5 well developed 

 gill-rakers on lower limb ; pseudobranchia? small, but evident, the fila- 

 ments about half as long as pupil ; 6 branchiostegals. 



Scales small, somewhat imbedded, uon-imbrieate, widel.v spaced on 

 belly, their longer axes frequently at right angles. Head and fins 

 naked. Lateral line high, its distance from dorsal base .2 its distance 

 above anus. 



Fins as in other species, except that the caudal is emarginate. 

 Pectoral, 2.3 in head ; ventral, 2.2. 



Air bladder short and thick in type, especially hardened and 

 thickened in a very definite median horizontal band, this band divided 

 posteriorly by a deep constriction, not quite as deep as diameter of 

 pupil ; distance from end of air-bladder to anus, 2.4 in head ; no pos- 

 terior foramen. 



Back light dusky; sides lighter; belly and under .side of head pale. 

 Body without dark spots or other markings. Dorsal light, margined 

 with blackish; anal similar to dorsal, the margin widening posteriorly; 

 paired fins pale. 



