ray of the second dorsal. Free rays rather stout, with their tips somewhat dilated and approaching
to spatuliform ; in length about two-thirds that of the pectorals. Ventrals a trifle
longer than the first or longest of the free rays.
C o l o u r .— “ Above mottled brilliant tile red ; beneath silvery white.”— D . Mr. Darwin is rather
doubtful whether by the above description, he meant that the entire fish was brilliant red, or
only mottled with red upon some obscure ground.
H abitat, Galapagos Archipelago.
Taken at Chatham Island, in the Galapagos Archipelago, and decidedly distinct
from all the species described by Cuvier and Valenciennes. From P .
strigatus it differs in the finer granulations of the cheeks, less obtuse and more
deeply notched snout, smooth scales, and absence of a second lateral line ; from
P . Ca)-oUmis in the want of a transverse groove on the cranium, and in the fin-ray
formula, but it resembles this species in the dilated tips of the free rays ; from
P . jjunctatus as pointed out in the description; from P . tribulus in the want of
the spine on the suborbital, and in its much shorter pectorals. These fins indeed
are shorter than in any of the above-mentioned.
As all the species described in the “ Histoire des Poissons,” are found on
the Atlantic side of America, the geographical range of this genus is extended
to the Pacific by the discovery of the present one.
F a m i l y — COTTIDÆ.
A s p id o p h o r u s C h i l o e n s i s . Jen.
P late V II. F ig . 1. Lateral view tw ice nat. size.
F ig. \a . D orsal view n at. size.
F ig. \h . L ateral view n at. size.
A . corpore elongato, anlicè octágono, postici hexágono; vomere el ossibus palatinis
dentibus dislinctis instructis ; maxillis suhoequalibus ; rostro ultrà fauces haud producto;
mento et membrana branchiali cirratis: pinnis dorsalibus discretis ; prima
radiis gracilibus.
B. 6 ; D. 8—7 ; A. 8 ; C. 11 | ; P. 14 ; V. 1/2.
Long. unc. 2. lin. 7.
F o rm .— More elongated than the A . eataphractus, which it somewhat resembles in'general appearance.
Anterior portion of the body octagonal, and the posterior, or all beyond the second
dorsal and anal, hexagonal. Head equally depressed as in that species ; b u t its breadth less,
being only one-fifth of the entire length, caudal excluded. Length of the head rather less than
one-fourth of the entire length. D epth at the nape rather less than one-seventh of the same.
Eyes relatively a little larger than in A . eataphractus; their diameter one-fourth the length of the
head ; placed high in the cheeks, and distant one diameter from the end of the snout. Upper
part of the orbit elevated into an osseous ridge on each side of the crown o f the head, with a
spine at its anterior angle, and the ridge itself terminating in a sharp, rather stronger, spine at
the posterior angle ; both spines directed backwards. Space between the eyes concave, equalling
ill breadth not quite one diameter of the eye, with two longitudinal sharp ridges running
respectively parallel to the ridges of the orbits, but not nearly so much elevated as these last;
these ridges term inate posteriorly at a groove, which runs transversely behind the eyes, se|)a-
rating the vertex from the occiput. The snout presents the same four spines, which are to be
seen in the A . eataphractus, but it does not project beyond the mouth. The lower margin of
the suborbital presents a somewhat irregular ridge formed by a series of bluntish tubercles, the
last of which terminates in a very minute spine directed backwards. Limb of the preopercle
with three diverging smooth ridges, dilating at their extremities into three flattened blunt points,
which project a little beyond the membrane, but can scarcely be called spines. Opercle-, with
one ridge not so strongly marked as those of the preopercle, and not term inating in any distinct
point, nor even reaching quite to the edge of the membrane. Jaw s nearly equ al; but the
upper one a very little tlie longest; each with a narrow hand of minute velutine tee th : a distinct
chevron of similar teeth on the front of the vomer, and a short imperfect row on each palatine.
Tongue smooth. Gill opening large : the branchial membrane not notched, but passing transversely
over the isthmus, to the edge of which it is nevertheless attached on each side. Chin
clothed with short fleshy cirri ; also a few ou the lower jaw and branchial m em brane; but they
are much shorter, and less conspicuous than in the A . eataphractus, especially on the branchial
membrane, where they are very sparingly scattered. The occiput presents the four usual ridges
formed of granulated tubercles; and between the iiinermost pair there is also a much less
conspicuous, but slightly raised line running longitudinally down the middle : the two innermost
of the above ridges are nearly in a line respectively with the two ridges of the orbit, behind
which they commence, and they would pass on to unite with the two dorsal carin® were they
not separated from the latter by a deep transverse depression at the n a p e : the two outermost of
the occipital ridges commence behind the eyes themselves, and term inate at the suprascapulars,
each in a sharp point directed backwards, but not prolonged into a spine. The carinated scales
which arm the body of this species, are more sharply serrated than those of the A . eataphractus,
the keels terminating behind in hooked points; and the elevated lines which form the stri® on
each side of the keel are fewer in number and more raised. The ridges which they form are
also more marked, and the second ridge on each side commences immediately behind the angle
of the opercle, instead of opposite the vent as in th a t species ; so that the whole body is perfectly
octagonal from the gills to the termination o f the dorsal and anal fins :* at that point, the two
dorsal ridges and the two ventral unite respectively to form one, or rather approximate so closely
as to form but one in appearance; for, if closely examined, there will still be found two parallel
rows of serratures. In each of the two uppermost or dorsal ridges, there are twenty-seven
scales, reckoning from the hollow at the nape to the point where the ridges unite. In the
second ridge (which extends, as before observed, from the gills to the caudal) there are thirty-
* In the A . eataphractus, th e body is hexagonal from the gills to a little beyond the v e n t; octagonal from this
t point to the term ination of the dorsal and anal fins ; then hexagonal again to the end of th e tail.
I