130 PRISTIPOMATID^. 



head and equals interocular width ; mouth extending to below nostril 

 or anterior border of eye ; lips very thick ; 4 pits on the chin ; posterior 

 border of prseoperculum strongly denticulated ; operculum with tAvo 

 blunt points ; snout naked, remainder of head covered with scales. 

 18 gill-rakers on lower part of anterior arch. Dorsal XIV 16 ; spines 

 very strong, increasing in length to the fourth or fifth, which measures 

 5 to § length of head, and nearly equals longest soft rays. Anal III 

 6-7 ; second spine very strong, longest, nearly as long as longest dorsal. 

 Pectoral § to f length of head. Caudal rounded. Caudal peduncle 



K Q 



scarcely longer than deep. Scales 55-60 jg^. Dark brown to purplish 

 black, lighter under the head and on the belly. 



Total length 400 millim. 



West Coast of Africa, from the Senegal to the Congo. — Type in 

 Congo Museum, Tervueren. 



1-2. Ad. St. Louis, Senegal. M P. Delhez (0.). 



3. Hgr. Mouth of Benito E. Madrid Museum (E.). 



3. OTOPERCA, g. n. 



Lanmus, part., Giintli. Cat. Fish. ii. p. 266 (18C0j. 



Body oblong, compressed ; scales moderate, ctenoid ; lateral line 

 complete. Mouth moderately large, protractile; maxillary exposed 

 when the mouth is closed ; bands of villiform teeth in the jaws ; 

 pra3operculum denticulate ; no opercular spines. 7 branchiostegal rays ; 

 pseudobranchiae large. Dorsal with 12 spines, anal with three, both 

 tins with a scaly sheath at the base. Ventrals below base of pectorals, 

 with a scaly basal process. Vertebrae 26 (10 + 16). 



A single species, marine, but entering rivers. 



1. OTOPERCA AURITA. 



Larimus aiiritus, Cuv. & Viil. Hist. Poiss. viii. p. .501 (1831) ; Giinth. Cat. Fish. 



ii. p. 266 (1860). 

 Fristipoma viarrophthahnuin, Bleek. Nat. Verh. Ges. Haarlem, xviii. 1863, no. 2 



p. 52, pi. xii. fig. 1 ; Steind. Sitzb. Ak. Wien, Ix. i. 1869, p. 684, and Notes 



Lejd. Mus. xvi. 1894, p. 9. 



Depth of body 2f to 3 times in total length, length of head 3 to 

 3| times. Snout with convex upper profile, much shorter than eye, 

 which is 2| (young) to 3 times in length of head and equals or a little 

 exceeds interocular width ; maxillary extending to below anterior third 



