20 



compressed toward caudal fin. Body deepest at dorsal-fin origin, its 

 depth at that point approximately equal to distance from nasal barbel 

 to opercular margin; body depth decreases gradually to adipose-fin 

 origin, more rapidly thereafter. Least depth at caudal peduncle 

 approximately equals snout length. Skin of body and head covered 

 with thick coat of mucous, anchored by fine filamentous projections 

 from skin surface; filaments largest and most dense on chin and 

 opercular margin of head, and, especially, on lateral surface of body 

 ventral to dorsal fin. 



Vent slightly anterior to anal-fin origin. Lateral line midlateral 

 and straight from past tympanum to hypural plate; anterior portion 

 of lateral line more dorsally situated; lateral line bent sharply in the 

 dorsal direction onto base of upper caudal-fin lobe posterior of 

 hypural plate margin. Lateral line pores extend laterally from canal, 

 through thick mucous coat. Anterior canal pores ramify and spread 

 in asymmetric pattern over pectoral-girdle elements and tympanum. 

 Cephalic canal pores similarly branch over dorsum of head and onto 

 opercle. 



Head large, its length approximately 3'/2 times in SL; head slightly 

 depressed, at pectoral-fin origin its depth approximately 80% its 

 width; head depth at orbit approximately 2/3 its width. Dorsal profile 

 of head straight from orbit to snout, slightly convex posteriorly; 

 ventral profile nearly straight. Mouth nearly terminal; upper jaw 

 slightly overhangs lower. Teeth in upper jaw conical and sharply 

 pointed, in 6 to 8 irregular rows. Tooth-bearing surface of premaxilla 

 long and nearly transverse, its long axis four to five times its short 

 axis. Tooth-bearing surface of mandible elongated, tapering 

 posteriorly. Teeth in lower jaw pointed and conical along anterior 

 margin of jaw, approximately equal in size to those of upper jaw; two 

 rows of bluntly rounded teeth, much larger in size than conical teeth, 

 present mesially; only blunt teeth present along posterior part of 

 mandible. Palate with coalesced tooth patch extending across mid- 

 line. Tooth patch convex anteriorly, concave posteriorly, with nearly 

 parallel lateral margins. Teeth on palate nearly all in form of bluntly 

 rounded pegs, slightly larger in diameter posteriorly, except for one 

 or two rows of somewhat smaller teeth along lateral and anteriolateral 

 margins of toothplate. Gill rakers 24 to 29; anterior 8 to 10 rakers on 

 lower arch rudimentary, shorter than intervening spaces; posterior 

 rakers moderately long and thick. 



Eye small, ovoid, with long axis parallel to body length; long 

 diameter of orbit approximately 1/3 snout length, 1/5 interorbital 

 width, and equal to or slightly greater than 1/10 head length. Orbital 

 margin free. 



Anterior naris situated along anterior margin of snout, its opening 

 a short tube, flared at margin, directed anteriorly. Posterior naris 

 remote from anterior naris, and slightly more laterally situated; its 

 anterior margin located midway between snout tip and anterior 

 margin of orbit. Naris surrounded by short rim, connected to nasal 

 barbel anteriorly. 



Head with three pairs of barbels. Maxillary barbel extends from 

 fold between upper lip and skin of snout; barbel filamentous, 

 without fleshy attachment to snout. Maxillary barbel short, not 

 extending to margin of bony opercle. Nasal barbel short, its length 

 approximately equal to orbital diameter; adpressed barbel reaches 

 only to anterior margin of orbit. Ventral surface of head with single 

 pair of mandibular barbels; barbel originates at vertical through 

 anterior orbital margin; barbel filamentous, extending to, or nearly 

 to, vertical through pectoral spine origin. 



Dorsal surface of supraoccipital, posttemporal and pterotic bones 

 granular, remainder of head covered with smooth skin. Adductor 

 mandibulae does not extend onto dorsal surface of cranium. 



Upper lip with several rows of short papillae along margin; 

 papillae often multifurcated at tip. Lower lip broadly connected to 



C.J. FERRARIS, JR. 



skin of chin, separate laterally. Lip margin with papillae comparable 

 to those of upper lip, at least medially. 



Opercular membrane free from isthmus at margin, but attached 

 more basally; membranes broadly connected across midline, but 

 separated posterior to isthmus connection. Branchiostegal rays 7 or 

 8. 



Dorsal-fin origin at approximately 40% of SL. Fin quadrangular, 

 first ray longest and approximately two times that of last ray; last ray 

 without membranous extension to body; fin margin straight. Fin 

 base approximately 1/2 of HL and shorter than interspace between 

 dorsal fin and adipose fin. Dorsal-fin spine stout, with sharply 

 pointed tip. Spine length equals head length minus snout, or approxi- 

 mately 15% SL. Anterior margin of spine produced into sharp keel, 

 without serrations; lateral and posterior surfaces smooth. Dorsal 

 spine preceded by fully formed spinelet. Dorsal fin preceded by 

 coarsely granular predorsal bone; lateral extent of predorsal bone 

 approximately equals that of supraoccipital spine. Dorsal fin rays 

 11,7; posterior two rays appear as one, split at base. 



Adipose fin large; anterior fin margin straight, convex distally. Fin 

 extends posteriorly well past its posterior insertion. 



Caudal fin deeply forked, lobes with acutely pointed tips; lobes 

 slightly asymmetrical, dorsal lobe longer and sometimes with 

 filamentous extension. Length of dorsal most primary ray approxi- 

 mately three times length of middle rays. Procurrant rays few, short, 

 not extending anteriorly onto caudal peduncle. Caudal fin rays 

 i,7,8,i. 



Anal fin quadrangular, anterior rays longest; posterior rays pro- 

 gressively shorter, fin margin straight. Last ray not connected to 

 caudal peduncle by membrane. Fin base short, approximately equal 

 to that of adipose fin. Anal-fin origin slightly posterior to vertical 

 through adipose fin origin. Anal-fin rays iv, 9-10. 



Pelvic fin abdominal, its origin posterior to vertical through 

 posterior insertion of dorsal fin. First branched ray longest, follow- 

 ing rays only slightly shorter. Adpressed fin just reaches anal-fin 

 origin. Pelvic-fin rays i,6. 



Pectoral fin acutely pointed; first branched ray longest, its length 

 approximately three times posterior-most ray. Pectoral-fin spine 

 stout, sharply pointed at tip. Spine with short filament at tip, length 

 of filamentous extension approximately equals snout length. Outer 

 margin of spine produced into acute keel; keel very finely serrated 

 for basal quarter, smooth for remainder of its length; in small 

 specimens, most of spine margin covered with tiny transverse 

 serrations. Inner spine margin with densely packed, pointed, retrorse 

 serrations; serration height greater than length of space between 

 successive serrations. Humeral process acutely pointed posteriorly, 

 with a slightly rounded tip. In larger specimens, process becomes 

 more rounded posteriorly, as in holotype (Figures 2, 3). Surface of 

 humeral process granular, with granulations less coarse than those of 

 cranial surface. Pectoral-fin rays 1,10 or 1,1 1. 



Coloration in preservative 



Body gray, darker dorsally, gradually becoming lighter ventrally; 

 abdomen nearly white. Head dark gray dorsally, white ventrally; 

 transition between gray and white regions fairly abrupt, occuring 

 ventral to eye and approximately in line with maxillary barbel 

 origin. Operculum gray with white margin. Orbit surrounded by 

 distinct white ring. Maxillary barbel dark grey, mental barbel nearly 

 white. 



Dorsal, anal, and pectoral fins pale, with broad black margin. 

 Pelvic fin uniformly pale or with some indication of dark margin. 

 Caudal fin with fine dark margin on middle rays; darkened margin 

 progressively larger toward lobe tips. 



