Diameter of eye about equal to interorbital width, 8 to 9 times length of upper jaw, 3i times length of rest of head. The caudal fin is almost truncate, the lower rays a little longer than the upper ones, and the middle rays measure five-sevenths the length of the postorbital part of the head, and their insertions are a little nearer the base of the tail than to the eye. The highest soft dorsal ray is about half the distance from the snout to the base of the thorax and is slightly longer than the highest anal ray.
Pectoral fin broad, well forked, the upper lobe evidently longer and more false than the lower, but without produced as in C.amhlyrhynchus, the longest ray being about one-third the length of the rest of the fish. Plates of lateral line developed along the entire length of the straight section, the plates not large, the height of the largest one not more than half the diameter of your eye. Depth of the head in the middle of the eye equal to the length of the snout and eye, and approximately equal to the greatest thickness of the head.
Analin inserted nearly below the middle of the soft back, the distance from its first ray to the base being 3^ of the length of the body. Interorbital space wide, flat, its smallest width corresponds to the snout and half of the eye, approx. twice the diameter of the small eye, li| in the length of the head. Mouth very wide and sloping, lower jaw drawn; the length of the gape twice the length of the head (2^ in S.fUrthi) ; premaxillaries anteriorly level with lower part of iiu])il; maxillary extending well beyond upper border of orbit.
The characteristic physiognomy of the Stelliferus group reaches its extreme in this species.
BULLETIN OF
Mouth large, very oblique, anterior part of maxilla at level of upper part of orbit, maxilla broad extending below posterior margin of eye, 2 up. Second course of medium height, covered with pale skin, without scales, which is thickened at the base of the edge; longest rays slightly more than one-third length of head. The silver color of the sides of the head and the bright reflections on its upper surface are very noticeable, more so than any other species of the genus.
Gambling moderate pores in lateral line; head large, blunt; maxillary nearly half head, reaching far beyond eye; lateral line straightening at a point considerably in prospect. Album.t. Pectoral moderate, more than half head; head tip, compressed, 3f in length; gill crackers moderate; scales very small (13-95-x), those on head sparsely embedded; dogs aged; caudallunate, its median rays less than half head. Mouth large, very oblique, the jaw extending below the middle of the eye, its length 2^in head.
Antral half the length of the head, extending to the half of the opening, which is near the front of the anal part. Eye large, about equal to snout and wider than interorbital space, about 3^ in head (doubtless smaller in adults). Vertical limb of i) reoperclea nearly straight, teeth growing downwards; angle and lower limb with about 9 strong radiating teeth, those nearest the largest angle, the anterior ones directed more and more forward. Dorsal spines strong, fourth highest, about equal to soft rays and 2^ in head; posterior spine much shorter than soft rays.
Body long, moderately compressed, the back somewhat elevated; the protile from the snout to the base of the dorsal rather steep and. Ocher large, 4 in head, shorter than snout, which is 1 more than the width of the flatfish's iuterorbital space; about half as wide as the moderate preorbital. Scales moderate, those above lateral line in many oblique series, becoming horizontal on caudal peduncle; those at the bottom of the horizontal range.
Second anal spine strong, 2f in head; much longer than the third spine, which is shorter than the soft rays. Soft rays of anal high, the first soft ray when under pressure reaches almost to the tip of the last ray; much beyond the base of the last ray. Color life, light olive brown, silvery below, the edges of the scales of the back with brilliant bluish lustre.
Each scale on the back and sides with a central silver spot (much larger than the ai^ota in I).JkiviguttaUis), these forming very distinct lines which have a direction. Posterior arm preopcrcnlumisslyemarginate and minutely toothed, the dnticulations of the angles not stronger than the others.
BULLETIN OF 325
This species is a member of the typical section of the genus Xenichthys^. which is characterized by the length of the soft dorsal and anal parts, which are much longer than the spiny part. 50; eye moderate, head 3 iu, maxilla not extending anteriorly; thorax short, slightly longer than abdomen, about half the length of head. Tail lin lunate, the middle rays more than half the outer ones; body rather elongated, depth (3^) equal to head length; eye moderate, 3^ in head; dorsal spines moderate, longest three-fifths of head; sternum rather long, three quarters of head; dorsal rays X,12; lat. 1.52.
Caudal fin deeply forked, middle rays barely one third of outer length; bodynotelongate,thepth(2|)much more than length of head; eye very large, 2f-inhead; dorsal pain very high, the longest two-thirds head; pectorals short, two-fifths head; dorsal rays X, 11;. Bodyobloug-elliptical, the depth 2J in length; the profile of the snout not concave, the iuterocular space small; lenticularly tall, the longest spines are half-headed; rather small scales Incision small, without conspicuous roots; caudal much longer than the head, the lobes falcate, the outer 5 times the length of the intermediate rays; gill membranes not forming an angle at crossing; formratherslender, the depth2|- in length;. nasal profile barely concave; iuterocularsjjace small gibbous; fins low, the highest spine less than one-third head; scales small, 10-78-18. Furrowontop of pearl of premaxillary processes long and narrow, naked; tip of spine more or less abruptly black (this black spot-celled in males); teeth not very small, .. c. Body elliptic, strongly compressed, profile not steep; depth slightly more than one-third of length; cheeks and sides without dark puucculations; .. lower tinpale; main small,3| in length; eye barely one-third length of.
Body moderately elevated, depth barely two-fifths of length; caudal fin moderate, shorter than head; second anal spine not very strong, shorter than third, about one-fourth length of head; ventral short, a little longer than half the length of the head, not reaching the aperture; pages without dark lines. Preopercium serrate; anal rays III, 8; sulcus for premaxillary processes bare, broad; teeth very small. . e.. less than half length; spines rather slender and short; second dorsal spine half the length of the head, a quarter longer than the second anal spine, which is less than half the length of the head of Aueeolus. Preorbital toothed; body with distinct dark lines along scale rows; body rhomboid, with angular outline, depth a little less than half; spines very strong, second dorsal spine two-thirds to three-quarters length of head, about half as long as second anal spine.
Muzzle short, rather broad, acute in profile; mouth terminal, very oblique.. wide open, its length is almost half the length of the head; maxillary extension to the opposite center of the jupil; premaxillary bones at the front of the pupillary eye. The pectoral fins are short and broad, the rays are all slender and velvety, the top is not silky, the fin is about three-fifths of the length of the head. Eye very small, lateral, located near the upper profile of the head, with a diameter of almost half the length of the short snout.
Pectoral fins snmll, pointed; the middle rays the longest, much shorter than the ventrals and half the length of the head. Vertical fins well developed; dorsal and anal both long, theme of the last ray of each joining the base of the rudimentary rays of the tail. Distance from occiput to origin of dorsal fin equal to length of head; rays of dorsal fin very slender, distant, the.
The pelvic fins are small, close together, inserted a little in front of the lower end of the base of the jiectoral, each fin consisting of two rays, the inner prolonged beyond the outer and bifid at the apex, about as long as the pectoral fin, and three-fifths the length of the head. Caudal short, about two-thirds the length of the head, the middle rays the longest, the outer rays slightly elongated.
