FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNHDAE 5 



of the skull, without facing bones, was drawn by using a camera 

 lucida; the facing bones were added freehand by using the facing 

 bones of the specimen illustrated and by referring to an intact skull 

 of another specimen of the same species. The other drawings of E. 

 nigricans and the other species were made by placing the particular 

 bones in a Bausch and Lomb Tri-Simplex micro-projector, outlining 

 the general details of the projection on paper and filling in details 

 from later microscopic examination, or by drawing the parts with 

 the aid of a Wild M-5 microscope and a Wild camera lucida. All 

 the plates and drawings in this paper except figures 13-16 were made 

 by Sharon Lesure; figures 14 and 16 were made by Ann HosMns 

 and figures 13 and 15 were made by Ann Schreitz. The plates and 

 figures 13 and 16 were labeled by Ann Hoskins; the other figures 

 were labeled by Sharon Lesure. 



The drawings of Aspidontus taeniatus are based for the most part 

 on a female, 67.5 mm standard length, from Kwajalein, Marshall 

 Islands, USNM 200339; however, after the base drawing was made, 

 the skull accidentally was crushed and it was necessary to use another 

 specimen for some of the details. 



All the other species illustrated are based on the single specimens 

 noted in the figure captions. 



The description of Entomacrodus nigricans is based on the same 

 specimen that was illustrated. Other specimens of this species were 

 examined and no significant differences other than meristic were 

 noted. The illustrated skull was completely disarticulated during 

 the description. 



Skulls of other species were completely or partially disarticulated. 

 Cleaning and examination of skulls was done in glycerine and alcohol 

 (some joints are seen better in the latter). Where possible, two or 

 more specimens of each species were examined, but usually the skull 

 of only one was thoroughly cleaned. Only a relatively limited number 

 of characters were recorded for each specimen, although many others 

 were checked, since a complete analysis, as given for E. nigricans, 

 was not practical; nevertheless, with the exception of the subfamily 

 Nemophidinae, where more study is warranted, the osteology of E. 

 nigricans can serve as a reasonable basis for that of the family. 



Considerable material of other perciform families (primarily blen- 

 nioid) was examined. Examination of this material was cursory and 

 only a few characters were checked on each specimen (for purposes 

 of excluding the species from the Blenniidae): coracoid-cleithrum 

 relationship, dentition, interopercle-epihyal relationship, pectoral 

 radials, and scapula-coracoid relationships. Nonblenniid material is 

 listed in alphabetical order by genus under the appropriate family 

 after the blenniid material list. 



