FISHES OF NEW YORK 541 



bands on jaws, vomer, and palatines; preopercle crescent- 

 shaped, without angle or serratures, but provided with two or 

 three spinous hooks on the posterior margin; opercle with two- 

 or three spines; gill rakers short. Branchiostegals 7. Dorsal 

 fins separate, the first of two or three (rarely four) small spines,. 

 the second of many (about 25) soft rays; anal long, rounded, of 

 soft rays only; caudal rounded; pectorals rounded, nearly 

 symmetrical, of 17 rays; ventrals small, I^ 5, inserted slightl;y 

 before pectorals, the spine short and strong. Vertebrae 

 10+14=24. Skeleton generally similar to that of Epineph- 



e 1 u s . 



Subgenus i^uomicropterus Gill 



266 Rypticus bistrispinus (Mitchill) 

 Soap fish 



Bodiamis bistrispinus Mitchill, Am. Month. Mag. II, 247, February, 1818, 



Bahamas. 

 Rhypticus maculatus Holbkook, Ichth. S. C. ed. 1, 39, pi. 6, fig. 2, 1856; ed. 2, 



42, 1860, Cape Romain S. C; Gunthee, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. E, 173,. 



1859; Jordan & Gilbeet, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 543, 1883. 

 Rliypticiis decoratiis Joedan & Gilbert, op. cit. 543, 1883. 

 Rypticus bistrispinus Joedan «fe Eigenmann, Bull. U. S. F. C. VIII, 338, 1890;, 



Joedan & Evermann, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1233, 1896, pi. CXCIV, 



fig. 509, 1900. 



This species has a moderately deep body, its dei^th greater 

 than the length of the head, specially in the adult in which the- 

 back is considerably elevated; profile of head much depressed 

 before eye, the sharp snout abruptly projecting. The length of 

 the head is one third of the standard body length; the depth of 

 body is contained from two and one third to two and two thirds 

 times in its length; the eye in adult nearly as long as snout, its 

 length contained five and one half times in length of head; 

 maxillary three sevenths as long as the head, reaching to below 

 posterior margin of eye; preopercle with only two developed 

 spines, the uppermost usually wholly wanting; the median spine 

 often divided, the lower one largest and directed partly down- 

 ward; opercular spine small; first dorsal spine a little lower 

 than second, which is nearly or quite free from the soft rays; 

 gill rakers short and thick, close set, eight to 10 in number.. 

 D. II, 25; A. 14 or 15. 



