312 DEEP SEA FISHES. 



long as the distance from the snout to the origin of the anal fin, little higher 

 than wide, convex on the crown, swollen around the gill chamber. Snout 

 less than one fifth as long as the head, shorter than the mouth, extending 

 forward of the lower jaw one diameter of the eye, curving downward in the 

 outline from the crown. Eye small, nearly one twelfth as long as the head, 

 two fifths of the length of the snout ; pupil longer than high. Mouth wide, 

 reaching one diameter of the eye backward of the orbit, longer than the 

 snout. Teeth with rounded crowns, in two more or less regular series on 

 jaws and vomer; anterior group on the upper jaws larger, exposed in front 

 of the chin. Vomerine series longer tlian the mouth, passing backward of 

 the eye ; anteriorly they appear to be in two series, posteriorly there is evi- 

 dence of an irregular third. About the middle of the length of the mandi- 

 bulars there are three series. Nostrils small ; anterior with a short tube, 

 directed downward immediately in front of the lower jaw ; posterior hidden 

 in the lip below the forward part of the eye. Gill openings oblique, width 

 equal to one and one half times that of the orbit, or little more than half of 

 that of the space separating them on the chest. 



Dorsal and anal fins low, not united at the tail ; no caiidal fin. Dorsal 

 origin on a vertical half way from the mouth to the pectoral ; anal origin 

 two fifths of the distance from tlie snout to the end of the tail. Pectorals 

 very short, deeper than long, appearing as a fold along the hinder edge 

 of the gill opening ; rays distinctly visible. Lateral line distinct, pores 

 small. 



Light rusty brownish ; with thirty-three large spots of brown in a series 

 on each side of the back above the lateral lino, with a series of smaller spots 

 below the lateral line, alternating with the series above it, and with a more 

 or less incomplete third series below the second at the sides of the base of 

 the anal fin ; hinder part of gill chamber yellowish white ; belly lighter ; 

 dorsal tipped with white and bearing a series of small blotches of brown ; 

 head with five or six somewhat irregular transverse series of small spots, 

 smaller forward and below, forming complete circles between the snout 

 and the middle of the gill chamber. While the lateral spots on the body 

 commonly alternate, there are cases in which they coalesce and form 

 bands. 



Hab. Panama and northward. Described by Gilbert from La Paz Bay, 

 Gulf of California. This species would better be placed in the subgenus 

 Pisodoulophh Knup. It is not a deep sea fish. 



