272 Prof. Kaup on new Genera and Species of Fishes. 



Leptocephalus diaphanus, Kaup, Apod. Fish. pi. 17. fig. 9. 

 This species, of which I have received the greatest number 

 from M. Keferstein, is much more constant in the proportions 

 of its body. The bulbus (Kaup, pi. 17. fig. 9 a) frequently 

 appears blackish through the skin, from the presence of food. 

 Four specimens gave the following dimensions : — 



1. To the bulbus or stomach 23, to the anus 54, to the caudal 57 mill. 



2. „ „ 23, „ 52, „ 53 „ 



3. „ „ 30, „ 67, „ 66 ., 



4. „ „ 28, „ 58, „ 61 „ 



Out of a great number of individuals I only met with two 

 which showed the course of the intestine. 



Leptocephalus brevirostris, Kaup, Apod. Fish. fig. 15. 



A specimen from Messina exhibits all the characters of that 

 figured by me, except that it has a rather more pointed head and 

 a somewhat longer tail. 



Body 48, tail 21 mill, in length 



Tilurus trichiurus, Kaup. 



Unfortunately my figure, given at pi. 16. fig. 5 of the ' Apodal 

 Fishes/ is drawn from a specimen in which the tail was de- 

 fective. The hair-like point, which measures 18 mill, in length 

 from the anus, is usually lost when several individuals are sent 

 in the same bottle. In this case the tails are so twisted together 

 that, in separating them, a portion of the filament with the apex 

 is lost, especially from the point at which it becomes blackish. 

 If the black apex of the tail be quite perfect, it forms at the 

 extremity a coil, which is drawn up in the form of a screw, in a 

 gelatinous mass. With the highest magnifying power, I was 

 unable to ascertain the true nature of the apex of the tail (which 

 is as large as a pin's head) and of its envelope. Is the capillary 

 portion with the coil a prehensile tail ? Is the gelatinous mass 

 animal mucus, or does it consist of animals which the caudal 

 extremity seizes and surrounds voluntarily or accidentally? 

 These questions can be cleared up only on the spot and by the 

 examination of many individuals. 



Genus Porobronchus, Kaup, n. g. PI. III. fig. D. 



( Jy Dr. Hseckel has furnished the Berlin Museum and myself 



"' ' with specimens of an excessively] small and nearly linear fish, 



uj / which was taken near Messina. It is so remarkably novel a 



^ I form, and possesses such abnormal characters, that I should be 



y^ surprised if it had escaped the Italian ichthyologists. Its cha- 



: f racters are as follows : — 



/ Diagnosis. Head and guttural sac large. Eyes rather large, 



