FISHERY BULLETIN; VOL. 78, NO. 1 



B 



1 mm 



Figure 26.— Escae ofMelanocetuspolyacUs: A. LACM 33603-4, 16.5 mm SL; B. Paralectotype, ZMUC P92155, 25 mm SL (lack of distal 

 pigmentation probably due to abrasion); C. ZMUC P921974, 26 mm SL; D. ZMUC P9251, 29 mm SL (a cotype of M. niger); E. LACM 

 33603-4, 30 mm SL; F. ZMUC P92210, 30.5 mm SL; G. LACM 33629-3, 35 mm SL; H. Lectotype, ZMUC P9260, 61 mm SL. 



Melanocetus niger Regan 1925 

 Figures 21-24, 27, 30 



Melanocetus niger Regan 1925:565 (original de- 

 scription, in part, 4 of 1 1 cotypes [see Comments, 

 p. 79] all Gulf of Panama, lectotype hereby des- 

 ignated, ZMUC P9252, 80 mm, Dana stn. 

 1208(4), 6°48' N, 80°33 ' W, 3,500 m wire, 0810 h, 

 16 January 1922); Regan 1926:33, pi. 8, fig. 1 (in 

 part, description, 4 additional females); Regan 

 and Trewavas 1932:53, fig. 76B (in part, listed 

 after Regan 1925, 1926); Beebe and Crane 

 1947:153-154 (in part, description of 4 addi- 

 tional females not seen by us); Bertelsen 

 1951:44, 53, table 4 (in part, description, com- 

 parison with all known material, in key); Grey 

 1956:237 (in part, synonymy, distribution). 



Ma^erm/. — Metamorphosed females, 6 (22-80 

 mm): BMNH 1925.8.11.29, 47 mm (paralec- 

 totype); lOAN uncatalogued, 77 mm; ZMUC 



78 



P9254, 22 mm (paralectotype); ZMUC P9256, 37 

 mm (paralectotype); ZMUC P921973, 42 mm 

 (Galathea stn. 727); ZMUC P9252, 80 mm (lec- 

 totype). 

 Males and larvae unknown. 



Diagnosis. — A species of Melanocetus unique in 

 having the following combination of characters: 

 anterior margin of vomer nearly straight; least 

 outside width between frontals 14.3-24.3% SL 

 number of lower jaw teeth 37-57 (Figure 22) 

 longest lower jaw tooth 6.9-10.5% SL (Figure 21) 

 width of pectoral fin lobe 9.1-13.5% SL; escal bulb 

 width 3.8-5.0% SL (Figure 23); illicium length 

 29.8-38.8% SL (Figure 24); esca without crests 

 (Figure 27); integument relatively thick. 



Description. — Escal bulb not compressed, with a 

 low, rounded or conical distal prolongation nearly 

 always pigmented on tip; anterior and posterior 



