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BULLETIN OP THE BUBEAU OF FISHERIES 
from last ray not quite reaching caudal; origin of anal under eighth or ninth dorsal 
spine; first spine entirely separated, enveloped in thick skin that projects beyond 
its tip, its length about 3 in head; second spine normally pungent and connected 
with the following rays; pectorals with 13 to 14 rays, 1.32 in head, the tip reaching 
slightly behind a vertical through origin of anal; insertion of ventrals very slightly 
behind margin of preopercle, fin 1.4 in head, not reaching origin of anal; scales of 
medium size, cycloid, entirely covering body; head, nape to origin of dorsal, base 
of pectoral, chest, and part of abdomen (about two-thirds of distance from insertion 
of ventrals to origin of anal) naked; 17 scales in arched portion of lateral line, 20 to 
21 in posterior straight part to base of caudal, 1 or 2 more rather large imperforate 
scales on caudal, 2 rows between highest part of arch and spinous dorsal, 7 between 
origin of anal and straight part of lateral line; teeth in jaws consisting of an outer 
enlarged series and an inner band of villiform teeth; a series of rather large teeth on 
vomer continued posteriorly on palatines; head and nape with large pores. 
Color in alcohol . — Body light brown, marbled with lighter and darker shades, 
darker marblings forming three indistinct longitudinal rows of blotches, reticulate 
lines sometimes setting off a few of the blotches somewhat more distinctly; fins 
rather light, somewhat clouded with darker, a row of light spots at base of dorsal 
separating off darker areas; a rather diffuse dark spot on membrane between first 
two dorsal spines; head brownish, a diffuse dark blotch behind eye, some dark 
irregular lines on cheek; cheek, opercle and base of pectoral with very small brownish 
rings against a lighter background, the rings being formed by a strong concentration 
of pigment about the margins of rounded pigmentless areas. Color of a freshly 
preserved specimen has been described as follows: Grayish olivaceous, paler below; 
a row of 10 large dark spots on back, extending on dorsal fin; another row below this 
and a third indistinct row below lateral line; about 12 small yellow spots arranged in 
a semicircle extending halfway around and underneath orbit; about 10 small yellow 
spots, surrounded by dark, on cheek; 2 similar spots on opercle and 2 on base of 
pectoral; top of head marbled with dark and light; ventrals pale, pectoral, anal and 
caudal marked with dark. 
Three specimens of this species are at hand. All are from Key West and all were 
collected in sponges on the following dates: Thirty-four millimeters, August 27, 
1919; 42 millimeters, August 29, 1919; and 38 millimeters, September 4, 1919. 
These specimens, in the main, agree well with Steindachner’s description and 
figure and seem to belong to that species. The dark rings on the side of the head 
seem to be a good color mark, which, apparently, does not disappear in alcohol. 
The centers of these rings, however, in our specimens are not blue, as stated in the 
original description of the species, but are yellowish, pigmentless areas. The counts 
of scales and fin rays and the proportional measurements agree closely with the 
original description. Steindachner does not state in his description the peculiar 
structure of the first anal spine, the main character on which the genus Brannerella 
was based, but his figure plainly shows that character. Also, no mention is made 
of the presence of a nuchal tentacle, which was probably overlooked by the author 
inasmuch as all our specimens have a single, slender tentacle in front of the dorsal. 
The arrangement of the teeth in our specimens also does not agree with the original 
description. The specimens at hand have a narrow band of minute villiform teeth 
behind the outer enlarged row, and the row of rather enlarged teeth on the vomer 
is continued backward on the palatines. 
