FITCH and BARKER: FISH FAMILY MORIDAE 



flattened area immediately above the crista su- 

 perior. At any given otolith length, this area is 

 only about half as wide on P. nematopus sagittae 

 as on those of P. rastrelliger. We were unable 

 to find any reliable character or set of characters 

 for distinguishing Tripterophycis sagittae from 

 those of Physicuhis, but for any given species a 

 careful comparison on a size-for-size basis ap- 

 pears to have merit. More than 30 pairs of 

 sagittae from P. rastrelliger were examined. 



Physiculus nematopus Gilbert, 1890 (Figure 

 IC). — In the illustrated otolith (7.5 mm long), 

 the ostium is 2.2 mm long and the cauda, 5.3 mm. 

 The crista superior (2.2 mm long) comprises ap- 

 proximately 29% of total otolith length and is 

 slightly more than half as long as the crista in- 

 ferior. As in other species of Physiculus, the an- 

 terior end is almost conical in lateral outline. 

 The lumpiness of the outer face is highly var- 

 iable and is of no value for distinguishing spe- 

 cies. Such lumps are always more pronounced 

 on otoliths of juveniles than adults. Ten pairs 

 of sagittae from P. nematopus were examined. 



Tripterophycis gilchristi Boulenger, 1902 

 {Figure IB) . — In the illustrated otolith (8.0 mm 

 long) , the ostium is 2.4 mm long and the cauda, 

 5.5 mm. The crista superior (2.2 mm long) com- 

 prises about 28% of total otolith length and very 

 slightly exceeds half the length of the crista in- 



ferior (4.3 mm) . Sagittae of Tripterophycis are 

 very difficult to distinguish from those of other 

 genera placed in the Physiculus-group that have 

 conical anterior ends. Fifteen pairs of sagittae 

 from T. gilchristi were examined. 



Actuan'oh/m-group (Figure 5) 



Otoliths in this group are characterized by 

 having a relatively short ostium (comprising 

 one-third or less of total otolith length) , a crista 

 superior that is about three-fourths as long as 

 the crista inferior, and an expanded anterior end. 

 Sagittae which have been illustrated from this 

 group are A. bicaudatum (Frost, 1924, as Phij- 

 siculus bicaudatus; Karrer, 1971) and A. terak- 

 ohensis (Frost, 1933, as Physiculus terakohen- 

 sis; Karrer, 1971). Both of these species are 

 extinct Miocene fossils from New Zealand. 



Actuariolum sp. {Figures 5 A and 5B) . — Kar- 

 rer (1971) errected the genus Aciwano/Mm (type 

 species A. bicaudatum) for Frost's (1924, 1933) 

 two fossils, and in corresponding with one of us 

 (Fitch) she thought that "one day a recent spe- 

 cies will be found which will belong to this genus 

 or show a very close relationship." Subsequent- 

 ly, in examining a number of unidentified morid 

 otoliths from cruises of the Eltavin, we turned 



Figure 5. — Otoliths from Actuariolum: 

 A and B, right sagittae, 5.2 and 4.2 mm 

 long, respectively from an undescribed 

 species collected at Eltanin station 1851, 

 lat 49°40'S, long 178°53'E, 476-540 m, 

 3 Jan. 1967) ; C. and D., left and right 

 sagittae from A. terakohensis collected 

 in Lower Miocene deposits (Paratoetoe 

 Fm.), Parengarenga Harbor, North 

 Island, New Zealand, 2.9 and 3.0 mm 

 long, respectively. 



575 



