Osteology of Gorgasia punctata — Rosenblatt 
93 
might be expected from the short oblique 
mouth, the suspensorium is strongly inclined 
forward. The hyomandibular and quadrate are 
massive. The palatopterygoid is developed as a 
broad lamina, which is attached by a ligament 
to the vomer. The maxillary contacts the neuro- 
cranium at the tip of the snout. The posterior 
end of the maxillary is expanded, but the 
remainder is a narrow lamina. There is no 
pedicel anteriorly. 
opercular series (Fig. 1) : The well-devel- 
oped opercular bones are strongly ossified. The 
preopercle is triangular, like that of Taenio- 
conger, but unlike that of Nystactichthys as 
illustrated by Bohlke (1957). The blocky and 
subtriangular interopercle has a pronounced 
anterior extension. The crescentic subopercle 
curves upward under the lower angle of the 
opercle. The dorsal margin of the broadly 
crescentic opercle is deeply concave; its upper- 
rear corner is far above the upper end of the 
hyomandibular. 
hyoid arch (Fig. 2): This arch consists of 
the unpaired glossohyal and urohyal, and paired 
upper hypohyal, ceratohyal, and epihyal. The 
interhyal is absent. All the branchiostegal rays 
are inserted on the lateral surfaces of the arch, 
one on the ceratohyal and seven on the epihyal. 
In Nystactichthys and Taenioconger, in contrast, 
two branchiostegals are inserted on the cerato- 
hyal. The urohyal is needle-like, with an ex- 
panded and flattened anterior end. The dorsal 
surface of the glossohyal is grooved. 
EH, epihyal; GH, glossohyal; HH, hypohyal; UH, 
urohyal. 
shoulder girdle (Fig. 1): The cleithrum 
and supraclei thrum are well developed. The ex- 
panded head of the supracleithrum is bifurcate 
in the specimen illustrated, but not in another. 
The well-ossified hypercoracoid and hypocora- 
coid are connected by cartilage. The four hour- 
glass-shaped actinosts are small, but well ossi- 
fied. According to Bohlke Nystactichthys has 
no actinosts, but the species of Taenioconger 
that I have examined are like Gorgasia in this 
respect. 
VERTEBRAE AND ASSOCIATED BONES (Fig. 3) : 
In one specimen the vertebrae number 144, of 
which 45 precede the anus. Figure 3A repre- 
sents a cross section at the level of the 17th 
vertebra; Figure 3B illustrates the 17th to 19th 
vertebrae in lateral view. The vertebrae anterior 
to the dorsal origin bear well-developed, crest- 
like neural spines. The remainder of the ab- 
dominal vertebrae have large neural arches, but 
EN NA IM 
.1 mm. 
A 
Fig. 3. Vertebrae and associated bones of Gor- 
gasia punctata: A, Front view of 17th vertebra; B, 
side view of 17th to 19th vertebrae. CE, Centrum; 
EN, epicentral; IM, intermuscular; NA, neural arch; 
P, parapophysis ; PL, pleural rib. 
