Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Volume III, 1863-1867Various
Science
Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Volume III, 1863-1867
Various
California Academy of Sciences -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals
REMARKS.—In the preceding diagnosis I have followed the
arrangement of specific characters adopted by Gill in his
description of two new species of _Exocœtus_ from the Pacific
Coast of Central America. (Proc. Acad. Phil., June, 1863, p.
167.) By comparison it will be seen that our species is very
distinct.
This large species of Flying-Fish is found in great numbers
during the summer south of Point Conception, and some wander as
far north as Santa Cruz at least. They can only be taken when
they happen to alight on board of a vessel or in gill-nets,
which I was not provided with during my late voyage among the
islands. Their flight is rarely higher than ten feet above the
water, but sometimes extends nearly a quarter of a mile.
UROLOPHUS, Müller and Henle.
UROLOPHUS HALLERI, Cooper, State collection, species 522. [FIG.
21.]
[Illustration: FIG. 21.]
_Specific characters._—Disk suborbicular, obtusely pointed
in front, and with the pectoral fins rounded behind. Length
anterior to anus a little greater than that of the tail
behind it. Posterior outline of ventral fins projecting a
little behind that of disk. Claspers as long as ventrals and
projecting entirely behind them. Tail 0·47 of total length,
gradually tapering from a cylindrical base to the spine, thence
becoming flattened laterally expanding into a fin, which
commences opposite the base of spine below, and ends opposite
to its end above, broadest near its end, where its width is
0·10 the length of tail. Spiracles a little larger than orbits
and farther apart, the distance between them equal to that from
snout to orbits. Ventrals forming nearly equilateral triangles,
their basal length one fifth that of head and body. Caudal
spine arising at 0·48 of the length of tail, and not quite one
third as long. Female more elongated than male but tail and
spine shorter; the ventrals a fourth longer and more acute.
_Colors._—Reddish speckled with yellow, below white. In some
specimens the dark and light colors above are about equally
distributed, the spots having a somewhat marbled arrangement.
In others the light spots are very few and widely separated.
Popular name “Round Stingray.” The figure is half the natural
size. The dots show the principal outlines of the cartilaginous
skeleton.
REMARKS.—While this fish has the nearly orbicular outline of
_Urotrygon_ (_mundus_), Gill, from Panama (Proc. Phil. Acad.,
June, 1863, p. 173), it differs generically in having obtusely
triangular teeth (equilateral), tail shorter than body, spine
nearest to its base, smooth skin, etc.
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