Description of two new species of fishes, <I>Ascelichthys rhodorus</I> and <I>Scytalina cerdale</I>, from Neah Bay, Washington Territory

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264 PEOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Dixon, Means, Marcliard, or Yancoiiver, except tliat

Means

mentions

them

casually assardines,

and

says the Indians are as fond of

them and make

quite as

much

account of

them

asthey do of salmon.

They

are found incountlessmyriads inthe waters of AlaskaTerritory, buthith- ertono other usehasbeen

made

of

them

in that Territoryexcejit as

an

articleof foodforthe Indians.

If

some

ofthe canneries ofAlaska

would

try the exi)eriment

and

put

them

u]3 in oil similar to sardines,I predict thata lucrativetrade

would

result.

No

regularstatisticsoftheEulachonfishery

have

everbeen kept either in British Columbiaor Alaska,

and

the foregoing

meager

account ofaveryimjiortant food-tish is allthatI have beenableto procure.

DESCKffPTIOIV

OF

T'W'

O NE^V SPECIES OF FISHES, ASCEIilCHTHYS RHOraORUS

^AlVU SCYTAILBIVA CEBS>AI>E,

FKOM JVEAH BAY, IVASHINGTON TEKKITORY.

By ©ATI©

S.

J©KD>AN

^asBd

CHARI.ES M. GII.BEKT.

Ascelichthys, genusnova.

Family

of Cottida'.

Body

rather robust,covered with

naked

skin.

Head

comparatively broad

and

depressed, covered with

naked

skin.

Preopercle with a simple, strongly

hooked

spine. ViUiform teeth on jaws,vomer,

and

palatines.

No

slitbehindfourthgill. Gill

membranes

broadlyunited, free from the isthmus. JSfoventralfins. Spinous dorsal oflow flexible spines. Other finsnormallydeveloj)ed. This genus has the generalappearanceofOligocottus,butisdistinguishedatoncefromall

the

known

genera of the family

by

the absence of the ventral fins;

hencethe generic

name

from a^zsA^jr,without leg,

and

r/Ohz, tish.

Ascelichthysrhodorus,sj). nov.

Body

rather plump, broad,

and

low anteriorly, nearly cylindrical mesially,

becoming

compressedbehind.

Head

comparativelj^broad

and

low, ovate, regularlynarrowed forward,

and

rounded anteriorly.

Eyes

rather large, placed high, separated

by

a slightly concave interorbital space,narrower than the eye.

Mouth

rather large,nearly horizontal, the maxillary extending to opposite the posterior border of the eye.

Lower jaw

slightlyshorter than upper. Lii)sratherfull, the upper

jaw

protractile. Teeth small, in villiform bands on jaws, vomer,

and

i^ala- tines.

The

palatine bauds long

and

narrow. Pseudobrauchaj large.

Gill-rakersalmostobsolete.

No

slitbehindthe fourth gill. Branchios- tegals six. Gill-membranes broadly united, free from the isthmus.

A

low,fringed dermalflapabovetheposteriorpart ofeacheye.

No

other cirri anywhere,

and

no trace anywhere, on

body

or head, of dermal prickles or scales.

No

nasal spines. Nostrils both with short tubes, theanteriorthelonger.

Suborbital stayvery slender, barely reaching thei)reopercle. Preop- ercle with a rather shortsimi^lesx)ine,strongly hooked

upwards and

in-

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PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 265

wards, concealed in tlie skin.

A

concealed downward-directed spine below this.

A

downward-directed spine onfrontofoperclebelow.

Skincomparatively thin

and

loose. Lateralline complete

and

contin- nons.

Dorsalfins connected

by

a

membrane

abouthalf the heightofthefirst dorsal. Dorsal spineslow

and

weak, nearly uniformin height,themid- dle spinesveryslightlyhigherthantheothers,the highestless thanthe diameter of the eye, the

two

anterior close together.

The

spines all

veryslender.

The

enveloi^ing

membrane

very thick.

Softdorsalnearly twice ashigh as the spinouspart.

Anal

about as high assecond dorsal, itsrays

more

robust. Pectoral finsratherbroad

and

short,strongly procurrent below, the lower rays thickened. Long- estrays reaching pastvent to beginningof seconddorsal.

No

traceof ventralfins,eitherexternally orunderthe skin.

Fhi rays: Dorsal

IX

or

X-18

or 19^j A. 13⁵ P. IG.

Anal

papilla very small. Six pyloriccseca. Intestinesshort, about as longas body, withoneflexure.

Stomach

filledwith Chiton,Patella, small Crustacea, snails,

and

worms.

Coloration olivaceous,usually rather dark,

and

shaded with greenish, but sometimes withwhitish saddle-like blotches,oneon eachsideofthe head, one on preopercle, one at front of dorsal, one most conspicuous oppositethe junction of the twodorsals,

and

twosmalleronesundersec-

ond

dorsal.

On

mostof the sj)ecimensthese markings are butfaintly indicated. Belly

somewhat

dusky. Lips,inmostspecimens,edgedwith vermilion, especially the lower.

Sjiinousdorsalfin dusky, blackin the middle

and

in frontabove, with a conspicuous edging of^brightcrimson. This

marking

is rarely faintor obsolete. Soft dorsal, anal,

and

caudal dusky, edged withpaler. Pec- toral dusky, edged withpaler,

and

slightlybarred atbase, especially in thepalerspecimens.

Thisspeciesis

known

tousfrom about200 examples,fromtwotofour inches inlength, obtained

by

usat

Waadda

Island, in

Neeah

Bay,near

Cape

Flattery, at the entrance to the Straits of

Juan

de Fuca. It is

found in the greatest

abundance

at this localityunder rocksbetween tide-marks. Itis lessactive inits

movements

thanthespeciesofOligo- cottus,

and

unlike

them

itis oftenfoundout of the water, left in

damp

Ijlaces undertherocks

by

the receding tide.

The

followingspecieshave beenobtained

by

usin this locality,which

isthe riclidstinrock pool fishofany which

we

have

anywhere

seen:

Xiphistermucosus, Xiphisterrupestris, Xiphister chirus, Ascelichthys rhodorus, Gobiesoxreticulatus, Anoplarchus atropurpureus,

Muroeuoideslaitus,

Apodichthysflavidus, Apodichthysfucorum, Oligocottus globiceps, Oligocottus maculosus, Scytalinacerdale.

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266 PKOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Table ofj)roportionalmeasurements.

Species:Aseeliehthys rhodorus.

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PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL

MUSEUxM.

267

which it differs inthe presence of

canmes

and inthe shortdorsalfin.

This isthe lirstspeciesof the family thnsfar

known

from north of the equator.

Scytalinacerdale,sp.uov.

Body

elongate, cylindrical anteriorly, compressed behind, covered withverysmall

imbedded

scales. JS^o lateralline.

A

slight vertebral streak

and

threeveryobscure

dusky

lateral streaks simidatiug lateral lines.

Head

broader than long, with tumid cheeks

and

constricted neck,

much

resembling the head

and

neck of a small snake.

Form

of snout subconic, the head abruptly narrowed at the eyes, below which is a slight verticalgroove. Snoutdepressed, roundedat tip.

Interorbitalspace rather broad,posteriorlyconcave, amedianwi-inkle extending along the vertex to the nuchal depression. All these de- pressions areratherapparent thanreal,beingdue tothetumidityofthe cheeks, which encroach on theother i)arts.

Eyes

quite small,directed almostupward,nearlyeven withthetop of the head. Lips full, the upper separated

by

acreasefromthe !>kiu of the forehead,thelowerAvith free margin. Skin offorehead withtwoor three dermaltiapson each side. In one of these the anterior nostrils

and some

nnicous pores open. Posterior nostril near the eye, with a very smallHap.

Edge

of lower lip sparsely fringed, below which the skin hasseveral coarse poreswithdermalHaps.

Gape

of

mouth

rather wide, extendingalittle

beyond

theeyes.

Lower

jaw slightly projecting, its front with

two

strong, conic, divergentca- nines.

Between

these,

and

behind,along thesides ofthe jaw,isaseries of smallerclose-set conical teeth. Ui^per

jaw

with

two

smallercanines, closertogether than thosein the lower jaw.

Edge

of upper

jaw

with

close-setconical teeth, apparentlyinasingle

row

behind,wideninginto abroad

baud

in front.

A

single series of small teeth on

vomer aud

'palatines.

Branchiostegals seven. Gill-openings very wide, the

membranes

broadly connected

and

free fromtheisthmus. Pseudobranchiiesmall.

Gill-rakersalmostobsolete. ,Gillsfour,aslitbehindthefourth. Opercle very short, thetumid cheeks encroaching

upon

it.

Pectoralfinsverysmall, alittlebelowtheaxis ofthe body,theirlength alittle

more

than thediameterofthe eye.

Xo

ventralfins. Dorsaltin

verylow,of softraysonly,which are short

and

weak,

imbedded

inthe skin. Itsinsertion alittle in front of first rayof anal

and

slightly in advanceofthe middleof the body. Tail apparentlyisocercal, rounded behind, with a well-developed caudalfin, whichis roundedbehind,

and

composed of rays longer

and much

slenderer than thosein thedorsal

and

anal.

Xo

constrictionbetweendorsal

aud

anal

and

caudal,the rays of the formerfins being joined to the latter at theirfull height.

Anal

precisely likedorsal

and

nearly coterminous with^it.

Vent

immediately infrontof anal, i^oanalpapilla.

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268 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Intestinalcanalasimple short tube,withoutcsecal appendages. Air bladder obsolete, or reduced to a filmy

membrane.

Xotbiiig found in the stomach.

Fleshcolor, with

much

mottling of purplish above,in fine,closepat- tern, sothat the light areas appear inthe form of pale spots.

Lower

parts finely speckled like the back,except the belly,which is nearly

X)lain. Fins similarly colored.

Anal

nearlyplain. Caudalreddish edged.

Fin raysnotreadily counted. Dorsal about41.

Anal

30.

Two

specimensofthis specieswereobtained

by

us*at

Waadda

Island

;

a third Avas seen, butit escaped us. It inhabits piles of shingle and smallbowlders nearthe

mark

of lowesttides,

and when

disturbed

makes

its

way downward

with great celerity through small crevices into the water.

The

si)ecimens takenare each about o| inches inlength.

Tahle ofproportionalmeasurements.

Species:Scytalinacerdale.

Collector'snumberof specimen.

Locality

Extremelength

Lenn;thtobaseofmiddle caudalrays.

Eod.vi

Greatestheigbt Head:

Greatest length

Di,staiK('itom snouttonape Greatest depth

Greatest width

Width^(ifiuterorbitalarea Lenuthi(fsnout Leiigthiifelieok Lengthofmandible Diameterof orbit Dorsal

:

Distancefrom snout Lengthofbase Greatest height Anal:

Distancefrom snout Lengthofbase Vent:

Distancefrom snout Caudal

:

Lengthofmiddle rays Pectoral

:

Length Ventral

:

Length Branchiostegals Dorsal Anal

Numberofcsecalappendages

No.226.

NeeahBay.

Inches and lOOths.

5.80 5.50

lOOthsof lengthto base of caudal.

13 9 7^6"

2h 2|

7 5

n

45 55 2 46 54 42 54

7 ca41 36