62 



Papers from the Department of Marine Biology. 



front of each ramus of the jaw; those marked +e are in the act of 

 erupting. Two factors seem to account for this variability. First the 

 size of the fish; the larger the fish the greater the number of teeth. The 

 fresh head was unfortunately not measured, but a study of the teeth and 

 comparative measurements of the bones show that it was about the 

 size of the dried head No. in, and possibly a little larger. The second 

 factor relates to the number of teeth that have been broken off with- 

 out sufficient time having elapsed for their being replaced. This is 

 particularly true of dried head No. iv, where on the right side several 

 teeth have been broken off. Figure 13, plate iv, from a photograph 

 of the lower jaw of the fresh specimen, will make these points clear. 



In front, at the symphysis of the rami of the lower jaw, is a huge 

 fang, bowed on the front edge and slightly hooked backward. This 

 was single in each of my five specimens, on the right side in four speci- 

 mens and on the left in one. Two of these teeth might be expected 

 but one seems to be always broken off. This matter will be discussed 

 later, but it should be noted here that this tooth is always inclined 

 toward the vertical median plane of the head and jaws that on 

 the left side towards the right and that in the right vice versa. 



The upper jaw has in front at the apex, under the snout, a group 

 of huge knife-shaped fangs, two, three, or four on each side, not two 

 pairs as Jordan and Evermann state. 

 The two anterior of these generally point 

 about straight downward, while the pos- 

 terior ones are sharply hooked backwards. 

 All are convexly bowed on the front edge. 

 These teeth may be seen in nearly every 

 figure of the fish and of its head given in 

 this paper. The accompanying table shows their numbers in my five 

 specimens. 



Implanted on the palatines in palisade fashion are a number of large, 

 pointed, lancet-shaped teeth, in structure and arrangement very simi- 

 lar to the mandibular teeth but much larger. These are largest in 

 front and decrease in size backward, becoming very small at the rear. 

 The most anterior ones are but little if any smaller than the great fangs 

 and on each side the series runs 

 backward in line with these fangs. 

 These teeth have, however, no phys- 

 ical connection with each other, 

 there being a wide hiatus between 

 them, as may be seen in figure 12, 

 plate iv. The accompanying table 

 gives the numbers of these teeth for each specimen. The + teeth are 

 the small ones at the rear, while +e indicates teeth just erupting. 

 Here again, it will be noted that the larger the specimen the larger 

 and more numerous the palatine teeth. 



