468 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



vol. 48. 



Dorsal beginning near anterior vertical of orbit, gradually rising 

 for more than half its length; height of longest ray 0.10, the fin rapidly 

 and evenly decreasing in height posterior to the highest ray; anal 

 rising to middle, about equal in height to dorsal; anal spine not 

 strongly projecting; caudal truncate; pectorals rounded, that of the 

 eyed side 0.105, of 10 rays, that of the blind side 0.Q76, with 10 rays; 

 ventrals symmetrical, each 0.09 and with 6 rays. 



Color uniform dark brown, including all fins on eyed side, the ven- 

 tral somewhat lighter; dorsal and anal with a light margin; fins and 

 body on blind side white. 



The curve in the lateral line is variable, with all intermediate forms 

 from a nearly straight line to a high curve with 7 rows of scales be- 

 tween its highest point and the horizontal. The dorsal fin rays in 

 E. leatakurae are given by Snyder as 80 or 90, the anal rays as 69, 

 agreeing with this species. The vertebrae are 42 to 45 in specimens 

 of this species counted; 41 in the type of E. leatakurae. E. Tcatalcurae 

 can not, therefore, be retained as a distinct species. 



In the young, especially under 150 mm., the form is much more 

 slender, the depth about 0.33; the dorsal profile is straighter; the 

 mouth is more oblique; the upper orbit is larger; the canines are less 

 developed; the maxillaries are more nearly equal, and the scales are 

 smoother. 



The body is apparently always dextral. 



These specimens, especially the larger, differ from the original 

 description in having the interorbital scaled, and in usually having 

 weakly ctenoid, rather than cycloid scales on the anterior part of the 

 body, the spines easily breaking off. The blind side usually has 

 ctenoid scales. 



This species seems nearest E. elassodon, from Alaska and Kam- 

 chatka, but differs from that species in the more irregular, highly 

 curved upper jaw; in the greater development of the canines; in hav- 

 ing fewer gill-rakers (x+ 16 to 19 in E. elassodon), and usually in the 

 higher curve in the lateral line. Evidently too large a range in fin 

 rays and gill-rakers have been recorded for E. elassodon, probably 

 from a confusion with other species. In four specimens of this species 

 in the United States National Museum and in five specimens in the 

 Stanford collection (from Puget Sound and Kamchatka), the gill- 

 rakers are 3 or 4 + 16 to 19. 



Table of Jin rays and gill-rakers. 



Albatross station 



Length without caudal, nun 



Dorsal rays 



Anal rays 



Gill-rakers, eyed side 



Gill-rakers, blind side 



4997 



5003 



4998 



4994 



4989 



5000 



4994 



5007 



4986 



'371 



332 



302 



272 



308 



260 



257 



425 



271 



82 



85 



83 



82 



79 



83 



82 



84 



88 



64 



64 



64 



64 



64 



64 



67 



65 



68 



3-12 



3-13 



3-14 



2-11 



3-16 



3-14 



2-15 



2-14 



3-13 



3-14 



3-16 



3-14 



2-12 



3-16 



3-14 



2-13 



2-16 



3-14 



