68 
U. S. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY-GENERAL REPORT. 
HEMILEPIDOTUS SPINOSUS, Ayres. 
Spec. Char. —Upper surface and sides of head provided with membranous flaps. Eye quite large. Posterior free extremity 
of maxillary extending to a vertical line drawn across the posterior rim of the pupil. Dorsal hand of scales composed of six 
rows or series ; lateral hand, of seven, five below and two above the lateral line. Ground color dark reddish brown, with 
darker transverse bands and blotches. 
Syn. —Bemilepidotus spinosus, Ayres, MSS.— Grd. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. VIII, 1856, 134. 
Galycilepidotus spinosus, Ayres, Proc. Cal. Acad. Nat. Sc. I, 1855, 76. 
The head in this species constitutes the third of the whole length, not including the caudal. 
It is depressed, broader than deep, grooved between the orbits, slightly depressed upon the 
skull, and covered with small spinous processes and membranous flaps. A fringed pair of the 
latter (one on each side) may he observed upon the occipitals, the upper and posterior rim of the 
orbit, the upper angle of the opercle, and upon the cheeks. A similar, hut not fringed, flap is 
seen at the posterior free extremity of the maxillary. A narrow and rather elongated pair exist 
upon the chin near the symphysis of the dentaries. The eyes are large, sub circular, and slightly 
turned upwards ; their longitudinal diameter enters about three times and a half in the length 
of the sides of the head, and not quite once in advance of their anterior rim. The interocular 
space is narrow. The anterior nostril is tubular and nearer to the eye than the extremity of 
the upper jaw. The turhinals are conspicuously spinous ; the snout blunt and rounded. The 
posterior extremity of the maxillaries extend backwards to a vertical line drawn posteriorly to 
the pupil. The limb of the preopercle is provided with four spines; the two uppermost being 
the largest and more close together than the remaining two, which occupy the inferior branch of 
that hone. The preopercle exhibits two spines—an elongated one, buried in its upper margin, 
and another rather short, at the inferior angle of the same hone. The branchial apertures are 
separated under the throat by an isthmus, the width of which is contained about five times in 
the distance, comprised between its edge and the extremity of the lower jaw. The branchioste- 
gals are six on either side, the inferior one being rather small and slender. 
The body, anteriorly, is almost as wide as deep ; it becomes, however, soon compressed pos¬ 
teriorly, so as to he deeper than broad. The profile is sub-fusiform in specimens of medium size. 
The origin of the anterior dorsal fin is situated in advance of a vertical line intersecting the 
base of the pectorals. It is composed of eleven spinous rays distributed over a space some¬ 
what less than the half of the base of the second dorsal. The three first rays are nearly equal 
and shorter than the fourth and all the succeeding ones, except the two last; it results from 
this structure that the outline of the fin is depressed between the third and fourth rays. The 
second dorsal is contiguous to the first at their bases ; it is composed of twenty articulated but 
undivided rays, constituting a fin higher than the anterior, and extending to very nearly the 
base of the caudal, for, the tips of the terminal rays overlap slightly the insertion of the caudal 
rays. The caudal itself is rather small, rounded, or sub-convex upon its posterior margin, and 
contained six times and a half in the total length ; it is composed of nine bifurcated and two 
undivided rays and rudiments of rays. The origin of the anal is situated opposite the fifth 
ray .of the second dorsal; it is not quite so deep as the latter is high, and does not extend quite 
so far posteriorly. The sixteen rays of which it is composed are all undivided, the interradial 
membrane being deeply emarginated. The insertion of the ventrals takes place immediately 
opposite the upper portion of the base of the pectorals ; they are elongated and slender, com¬ 
posed of four soft and one spinous rays, the extremities of which do not reach the vent. The 
