SYNODUS SIMULANS. 251 



SYNODONTID.E. 

 Synodus simulans sp. n. 



Plate L\ fg. o. 



D. 12 ; A. 9 ; V. 8 ; P. 12 ; scales 4-62-6. 



These notes are taken from 3'oang individuals. Tlie species is not an 

 inhabitant of tlie deep sea, but is here used in comparison with other jjelaj^nc 

 fishes and with those of great depths. 



Form elongate, little compressed, somewhat pointed and rounded in 

 front. Head moderate, larger comparatively and less pointed than in the 

 species next described, about one fifth of the total length ; crown with a 

 slight convexity ; a narrow groove on the interorbital space. Snout short, 

 hardly as long as the eye, which latter is equal to the width of the inter- 

 orbital space. Mouth wide; intermaxillary extending backward to a vertical 

 from the hind border of the eye ; lower jaw reaching one half the length of 

 the orbit farther back than the intermaxillary. Teeth very small, in narrow 

 bands on jaws, palatines, and tongue. Eye large, two ninths as long as the 

 head. 



Dorsal origin on a vertical from the hind ends of the bases of the ven- 

 trals, one half the length of the orbit forward of midway from the snout to 

 the origin of the adipose fin, which last is above the seventh ray of the anal, 

 that is close to the forward end of the posterior third of the length from the 

 npper angle of the gill opening to the end of the tail. Anal smaller than 

 dorsal, origin near the end of the foremost two thirds of the total length, or 

 about halfway from the origin of the dorsal to the end of the caudal. Ven- 

 trals large, nearly twice as large as the pectorals. 



Yellowish white, with a slight brownish cast on the back, with pairs of 

 narrow streaks of brown across the back, about seven pairs between dorsal 

 origin and caudal, with a streak of brown across the bases of the caudal rays, 

 and with a series of eleven horizontally oblong spots of brown a short dis- 

 tance below the lateral line from the lower front portion of the base of the 

 pectoral to within two or three scales of the first ray of the anal fin. Each 

 spot of this series is larger than the pupil of the eye and in its posterior 

 half contains a round spot of black nearly half as large. Fins light, caudal 

 very little darker backward. Total length of largest specimen two and one 

 eighth inches. 



