FoRM— Head large, sub-depressed, and much inflated about the gills : body compressed towards
the tail. D epth at tlie pectorals contained about five and a half times in the length : thickness
at the same point about three-fourths of the depth. Head about four and a half times in the
length ; its breadth nearly equal to its own lengtli. Profile nearly horizontal. Eyes moderately
laro-e, with a diameter nearly one-fourth that of the head : the intermediate space a little hollowed
out, and scarcely more than h alf a diameter in breadth. Some appearance of a shallow groove
on the nape reaching to the first dorsal. Gape reaching to beneath the anterior angle of the eye.
Jaw s equal : each with a broad band of velutine teeth, the outer row stronger than the others,
and slightly hooked ; of these stronger ones there are twenty six in the upper jaw ; below they
are fewer, smaller, and more irregular : no canines : no vomerine or palatine teeth.
Pectorals about one-fifth of the entire length, oval; the first six or seven rays nearly free
to their base, and setaceous, like those of G. niger ; the sixteen that follow connected by membrane
as usual, and much branched. Ventrals united in the usual manner, and a little shorter
than the pectorals. The first dorsal commencing a very little behind the point of attachm ent of
the pectorals, and reaching to the extremity of those fins when laid back : the anterior spines
rather exceeding in length h alf the depth of the body ; the last three gradually decreasing,
with the membrane terminating a t the foot of the second dorsal. This last fin with the first ray
simple, and of the same height with the anterior rays of the first dorsal ; those which follow, to
the number of nine, nearly of the same height, and branched ; from the root of the ninth springs
a simple ray which might be reckoned as distinct, and if so, the entire number would be ten.
Anal commencing a little more backward, and terminating a little sooner than the second dorsal,
to which in other respects it answers; the last ray double as before : both these fins terminate
in a point behind. Space between the anal and the caudal rather more than one-fifth of the
entire length, and equalling twice the depth immediately beneath. Caudal rounded, about
one-sixth of the entire length ; the division between the principal and accessory rays (which last
are numerous, especially above), not well marked ; the former much branched. The usual
papilla behind the vent.
No visible lateral line. Scales rather large; about thirty-seven in a longitudinal line,
and eleven in a vertical ; ciliated, the concealed portion of each scale with an irregular fan of
very numerous striæ , amounting to twenty-five or more. Skin of the suborbital marked with
four longitudinal lines of salient dots, the third from the top forking posteriorly into tw o: a
similar line at the upper p art of the opercle at the boundary of the scales, whence another passes
vertically across the branchial membrane ; behind this is a third shorter one, taking an oblique
direction backwards.
C o l o u r — (In spirits.) D usky grey, wdth about ten, rather indistinct longitudinal dark lines on the
body, extending from the pectorals to the caudal. Fins dusky, with some indication of small
irregular whitish spots scattered here and there. A dark spot on the upper half of the eye.
Habitat, Galapagos Archipelago.
This is undoubtedly a new species. It belongs to the same section as the
G. niger of the European seas, which in form it very much resembles, especially
in its large inflated head, and in having the uppermost rays of the pectorals free
and setaceous. It differs, however, in having fewer rays in the dorsal and anal
fins, and consequently a larger interval between the anal and the caudal; also, in
the number and arrangement of the dotted lines on the cheeks. The colours are
likewise different; and, in the living fish, in which they were not noticed, probably
the dark longitudinal lines, alluded to in the description above, are much more
conspicuous than they are at present.
This species was taken by Mr. Darwin off Chatham Island, in the Galapagos
Archipelago.
2 . G o b iu s o p h ic e p h a l u s . Jen.
P l a t e X IX . F ig . 3
G. pallenti-plumheus,fusco-reticulatus : corpore elongato, gracili, undique alepidoto:
capite lato, depresso, genis tumidis ; his et rostro punctis valde salientibus, creberri-
mis, lineis undantibus dispositis: maxillis oeqiialibus : dentibus velutinis; externis,
præsertim lateralibus, fortioribus, aculeiformibus ; caninis nullis : oculis parvis,
prominulis, intervallo plus quam diametrum cequante : pinnis dorsalibus subcontiguis,
altitudine suboequalibus ; pectoralibus radiis omnibus membranâ inclusis; caudali
rotundatâ, radiis clausis, subacutâ.
D. 8—1/16 ; A. 1/13 ; C. 17, &c. ; P . 21 ; V. 1/5.
L o n g . unc. 2. lin. 11.
F o r m .— Body considerably elongated, and compressed posteriorly : the greatest depth beneath the
first dorsal, equalling rather less than one-cighth of the entire length : thickness at that point
rather less than the depth. H ead broader than the body, very much flattened in the crown
behind the eyes, with the cheeks tumid, and, on the whole, snake-like in appearance : its
length one-fifth of the entire length ; its breadth two-thirds of its own length. Eyes small, but
rather prominent, high in the cheeks, with a diameter scarcely exceeding a line in length, or
about one-sixth that of the head ; the space between a little hollowed out, and nearly a
diameter and a half across. Snout short and obtuse: jaws equal; the gape not quite reaching
to beneath the middle of the orbit. T he teeth form a broad velutine band in each jaw, with
those in the outer row strong and slightly hooked : of these last there are about twenty in the
upper, the lateral ones being stronger than those in fron t; in the low'er they are not so
numerous, and more irregular : none that can be strictly called canines : likewise no vomerine
or palatine teeth.
Pectorals one-sixth o f the entire length, oval, with the middle rays longest; all the rays
included in the membrane. Ventrals united; about two-thirds the length of the pectorals.
F irst dorsal extending beyond the extremities of the pectorals ; the rays very gradually
decreasing in length, the membrane beyond the last also sloping very gradually down till it nearly
reaches the second dorsal, which it does not quite touch. Rays of the second dorsal of nearly
uniform height, about equalling the longest of those in the first, also equalling the depth of the
body beneath. The last ray in both these fins is double, as in the last species. T he anal commences
beneath the fourth ray of the second dorsal, and terminates a little sooner than that fin.
The caudal, when the rays are spread, appeai-s rounded ; but when closed, somewhat pointed :