OCR Text |
Show 1884.] GENERA SICYDIUM AND LENTIPES. 157 the upper hp. Only the extremities of the horizontal teeth visible. Maxillae contain an obtuse angle. The total length of the body (without the caudal) is four times the length of the head ; the width ol the head is considerably greater than the height and nearly equal to the length; the height of the body is two ninths of the length Scales small; those on the body and tail are subequal and larger than those on the neck and belly. " The diameter of the eye is one seventh of the length of the head and one third of the interorbital space The length of the pectoral is greater than that of the head. Phe third, fourth, and fifth dorsal spines are produced into long ribands; the fourth, which is the longest, is about twice the he-ght of the body. Colour either uniform olive-brown, dorsals with irregular dark marking and anal with a dark marginal band, or yellowish marbled with brown. The largest specimen measures nearly 7 inches. ILab. West Indies. Nine specimens, adult, half-grown and young. 2. SICYDIUM ANTILLARUM, sp. n. (Plate XII. fig. 3.) D. 6~. A. i. L. lat. 68. Teeth in the upper jaw long, slender, and bent inwards over the gum at about right angles. A row of small lamelliform transverse papillae on the gum beneath the upper lip, with a larger median lamelhtorm papilla above the maxillary suture; a slight median cleft in the upper lip ; maxillae at right angles to one another : horizontal teeth conspicuous. The total length of the body (without the caudal) is four and three fifth times the length of the head ; the width of the head is considerably greater than the height and two thirds of the length ; the height of the body, which is equal to the width of the head, is one sixth of the length. Scales on the body and tail are subequal and larger than those on the neck and belly. The maxilla does not extend to the vertical from the posterior margin of the eye, the diameter of which is contained six and a half times in the length of the head and twice in the interorbital space. The length of the pectoral is greater than that of the head. The third, fourth, and fifth dorsal spines are produced into long narrow ribands; the fourth, which is longest, is nearly three times the height of the body ; the second dorsal is considerably higher than the body. Colour uniform violet-brown, dorsal fins with irregular wavy dark markings; anal with a black and white marginal band ; caudal with a dark band on the upper margin. Total length 4\ inches. Hab. Barbadoes. One adult specimen. |