BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 737 



Distribution : — Lord Howe Island. 



From Xecdotus this genus may at once be distinguished by its 

 strong thyrsitoid dentition, from Fromethichthys by the presence 

 of the spine behind the vent, from all the other Gempylidce (the 

 unmistakable Gempyhis excepted) by the constitution of the 

 ventral fins. 



Mach^rope latispinis, sp.nov. 



D. XX, i 17 ii. A. i U ii. 



Depth of body 8|, length of head 4 in the total length; width 

 of body Y of its depth. Diameter of eye \ of the length of the 

 head and ^ of that of the snout, which is % of the distance between 

 its extremity and the origin of the spinous dorsal. Interorbital 

 region concave, its width 5| in the length of the head. Maxillary 

 extending to the vertical from the anterior third of the eye, 

 mandible not quite to the posterior border; length of the former 

 from the tip of the snout \L\ in the head, its width at the distal 

 extremity |^ of the diameter of the eye; length of mandible | of 

 the head. Premaxillaries with three pairs of curved canines 

 anteriorly, mandible with one pair much smaller and lanceolate; 

 1 1 lateral teeth on each ramus of the upper jaw, 8 to 1 1 on the 

 lower. Anterior nostril smaller than the posterior, which is oval 

 and subvertical, its distance from the eye 4 of a diameter of the 

 eye. Opercle with feeble radiating strise and numerous minute 

 shallow pits. Outer border of spinous dorsal sinuous, the fifth 

 and tenth spines the longest and subequal, 3J in the length of 

 the head, but scarcely as long as the anterior rays; last spine 3i- 

 in the longest : anal commencing beneath the origin of the soft 

 dorsal, its distance from the vent | of the diameter of the eye: 

 posterior dorsal and anal finlet the longer : ventral spine a little 

 longer than the postanal, 4 of the eye : pectoral with ) 3 rays, 

 originating below the second and ending below the seventh dorsal 

 spine, its length \ of the head : middle caudal rays 4 of the outer, 

 which are \ of the total length; least depth of caudal peduncle f 

 of its length behind the dorsal finlets and \ of the depth of the 

 body. Metallic blue, darkest above : fins lighter. 



