EDWIN CHAPIN STARKS 11S) This species is closest to Thalassophryne maculatus Giinther, but differs in having a longer caudal, longer posterior dorsal and anal rays, longer pectorals, in the character of the teeth on the front of the premaxillary, and in the color. From 7’. punctata Steindachner, it differs especially in having a much longer pectoral, in having the dorsal and anal scarcely joined to the caudal, and in color.
A single specimen, 7 inches in entire length, was taken in the lagoon some miles above Natal.
This species is with much pleasure named for Dr. John Casper Branner, Vice-President of Stanford University, and Director of the Stanford Expedition to Brazil.
FamMity GOBIESOCID.
219. Gobiesox barbatulus Starks, new species.
Plate 14.
The head is as wide as it is long, and is contained 234 times in the entire length to the caudal base. The depth at the occipit is equal to a half of the width at the same point. The diameter of the eye is contained 5 times in the length of the head and 2 times in the interorbital space. The edges of the nostrils are somewhat raised and the anterior nostril bears a flap widened fan-like toward its distal end. Thick barbels or fleshy papille are on the lips and are scattered numerously over the anterior part of the head below. The opercular is flexible and covered with skin. All of the teeth are with entire edges and are very small.
On the front of the upper jaw is a short row of 6 or 7 teeth larger than the others. Close behind them is a longer row extending past the first row and forming part of the lateral marginal teeth. Behind the second row is a still longer third row extending behind the second row and forming the posterior marginal row. In the lower jaw are two rows with their chisel-like edges so closely approximated as to form a single cutting edge. All of these rows are so close together and so small that only one row will be appreciated on each jaw unless the jaws are dried and examined under a compound microscope. No teeth are on the vomer or palatines.
The disk is as wide as it is long and its diameter is a little less than the length of the head. The dorsal has 10 rays and the anal 7. The distance of the front of the dorsal from the base of the caudal is equal to the length of the head. The front of the anal is a trifle behind that of the dorsal. The pectoral is very broad and is equal in length to the postorbital
74 FISHES FROM BRAZIL part of the head. ‘The skin is nearly everywhere covered with fine pits, giving it a granular appearance.
The color is light brown, with darker brown blended spots on top of the head. ‘These run together or become elongate on the body, forming irregular longitudinal streaks. ‘The median fins are dark and have a light border. The pectoral is without color.
This species seems to be related to Gobiesox papillifer Gilbert in having fleshy papilla about the head, but differs in the number of fin rays, in color, and in other characters. Four specimens, about an inch in length, were collected in the tide pools at Natal.
Famity BLENNIID.
220. Labrisomus nuchipinnis (Quoy and Gaimard).
This was one of the commonest of the fishes in the tide pools at Natal. In a couple of specimens from the Canary Islands the band of filaments on the nape is scarcely more than half as long as in the Brazilian specimens, and, as Dr. Gilbert has pointed out (Proc. Wash. Acad. Sci. V. II, p. 179), there is a second row of teeth on the vomer. ‘Thus it appears probable that Labrisomus canariensis Valenciennes is a valid species. 221. Auchenopterus rubicundus Starks, new species. \ Plate 15.
The head is sharp, with the dorsal and anal contours similar. The head is contained 314 times in the length to the caudal base. The body depth is contained 44% times. The jaws are equal anteriorly, and the maxillary extends to opposite the posterior edge of the pupil. The teeth are sharp and even, in a single row on the outer edge of the jaws, and a short row of smaller teeth behind them. The eye is a little longer than the snout, and is contained 4 times in the head. ‘There is a multifid tentacle on the anterior nostril, one above the eye, and one at the nape.
The fin formula is, dorsal III-XXVI, 1; anal, II, 15. The origin of the dorsal is opposite the preopercle. The first dorsal spine is a little lower than the second, and all of the anterior spines are considerably lower than the highest spines of the second dorsal. The membrane between the third and fourth spines joins the latter about a third of its length above its base. The ventrals reach a little more than half way between their base and the front of the anal. The pectoral is broadly rounded, and scarcely reaches to the front of the anal.
EDWIN CHAPIN STARKS US The scales are crowded anteriorly and grow gradually larger posteriorly. They number 28, counting longitudinally, and 8 transversely, opposite the front of the anal. There are 35 pores in the lateral line including those in the curve. On the ventral region 12 scales lie in a median line between the anal and the ventrals. The head and the fins are entirely naked. The color of the head and body is uniformly bright red, growing only very slightly lighter below. A broad white streak runs back across the cheek. The dorsal is alternately red and colorless; the red areas are about three spines wide and the others a little shorter. A small black spot is on the base of the twentieth spine, but it is not ringed. The caudal is yellowish and has no bar at its base.
A single specimen was taken in a tide pool at Natal. It is 13g inches long.
This species differs from all of the others of its genus in having a shorter anal, and in color. It seems to be closest to Auchenopterus fasciatus (Steindachner).
222, Blennius cristatus Linneus.
Numerous specimens were taken in the rock pools at Natal. The largest males have a moss-like growth on the tips of the first two anal rays. The color is variable. Some of them are uniform dark brown, nearly black above, and only slightly lighter below, while no cross bars are evident. ‘The fins are all nearly black. Others are very light grayish or slate-color, with about 6 double cross bars on the back and side, and with the fins light or slightly dusky. These two extremes merge into each other, and all of the intermediate shades of color are represented.
223. Salariichthys textilis (Quoy and Gaimard).
This species and Labrisomus nuchipinnis were the most abundant of the fishes in the tide pools at Natal.
The head is short and steeply declivous in front of the eyes, descending in a straight line at an angle of about 70 degrees. The top of the head is horizontal, and the part just above and behind the eyes is broadly rounded. The mouth is inferior, very broad, and more transverse than lateral. Its greatest width is equal to the distance of its corner from the edge of the operculum in a horizontal line. The teeth on the jaws are very fine, in a single row, and very freely movable. There is a canine on each side of the mandible a considerable distance inside of the marginal teeth, its length is about a third of the diameter of the eye. A single row of small conical teeth are on the vomer. There is a multifid barbel at the anterior nostril,
76 FISHES FROM BRAZIL one on the upper part of each eye-ball, and a short simple one at the nape about one diameter of the eye in front of the dorsal. The spinous dorsal is equal in length to the soft dorsal, and the spines are considerably lower than the longest rays. ‘The membrane of the anal fin is deeply incised, and the posterior rays of both the anal and soft dorsal reach to, or beyond, the base of the caudal. ‘The pectoral fin reaches to opposite the front of the anal. The caudal is broadly rounded and very slightly angulated at its outerrays.
When the pools containing fishes of this species were poisoned with chloride of lime they immediately left the water and proceeded over the land toward the next pool or the sea, progressing by a series of rapid hops made by curving the body and suddenly straightening it out, thus jumping from the caudal fin. ‘They progressed over the sand at a rather surprising rate ofspeed.
FamMity PLEURONECTIDA.
224. Syacium micrurum Ranzani.
A single specimen taken at Natal.
225, Citharichthys spilopterus Giinther. e A few specimens taken in the harbor at Natal and one at Para. They differ from each other conspicuously in depth of color. Famity SOLEID/.
226. Achirus lineatus (Linnzus).
A few small specimens were taken on the sand beaches about Natal. The pectoral is longer than described in current descriptions (3 times in the head). It is composed of 5 rays, with the middle ray produced, or in one case the second ray from the top is produced, and its length varies from almost half as long as the head to a little more than half as long. In all of them the caudal is abruptly lighter and covered with round dark spots. The eyed side is profusely supplied with hair-like sensory papilla, some of which are arranged in vertical lines.
227. Achirus achirus (Linnezus).
This species, which has hitherto been known principally from the description of Dr. Giinther (Solea gronovii Gimnther, Cat. IV, p. 472), was found in abundance at Lake Papary, where the fishermen secured many specimens by the aid of cast-nets. Specimens were also taken in the market at
EDWIN CHAPIN STARKS | Para. The only other Achirus having a rudimentary left pectoral is 4. inscriptus Gosse, which has about 10 fewer dorsal rays, and has the body covered with a net-work of fine lines. Only a single small specimen from Porto Rico is at hand of the latter species for comparison, but there can be no question of the validity of these two species.
In A. achirus the head is contained from 3% to 34% times in the length, and the depth from 1% to 134 times. Counting from the upper part of the operculum above the lateral line there are from 72 to 76 transverse series of scales. The dorsal rays are not very variable in number, ranging from 61 to 63 in 14 specimens, the majority having 62. ‘There are 3 pectoral rays on the eyed side, and one, with occasionally a second short one, on the blind side. The former is as long as the eye. The longest dorsal and anal rays at the beginning of the posterior third of the fin are contained 134 times in the head. The caudal shows a slight angle at the tips of the median rays, which form a fourth of the entire length, or a little less. The ventral of the colored side is connected with the anal, but there is a rather deep notch between. The scales are enlarged on the anterior part of the body above the eyes, the anterior parts of the head, body, and fin rays are thickly covered with hair-like tentacles on the blind side, and a few are around the mouth and eyes of the eyed side.
228. Apionichthys unicolor (Giinther).
A couple of specimens taken at Parad. The color is brownish, mottled with darker elongate spots placed vertically. One of them is freckled with dark brown specks. One has 3 ventral rays on the blind side, rather than 2. Famity ANTENNARIID.
229, Pterophryne histrio (Linneus).
A small specimen was taken in the harbor at Natal. In life it was olive green with the belly yellow, and large, round, yellow spots scattered over the sides, as well as some obscure black spots. Over these colors were sparsely scattered flakes of pure white.
Famity OGCOCEPHALID.
230. Ogcocephalus vespertilio (Linnzus).
A couple of specimens were examined in the Rocha Museum at Ceara.
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ra ZS Colas: er Type. Anchovia pallida Starks.
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Type.
Pygopr gibbosus Starks.