Supraethmold 



Frontal 



Lateral 

 ethmoid 



Vomer 



Figure 6.— Anterior view of anterior half of cranium of 

 Melanocetus johnsoni, LACM 32786-1, 75 mm SL. Cartilage 

 stippled. 



Supraethmold 



Lateral / 

 ethmoid 



Frontal 



Vomer 



Figure 7. — Anterior view of anterior half of cranium of 

 Melanocetus murrayi, LACM 31501-3, 84 mm SL. Cartilage 

 stippled. 



arates the prootics on the midline, is narrowly 

 separated by cartilage from the ends of the 

 ventromedial extensions of the frontals. The 

 supraoccipital is not overlapped by the parietals 

 (Figures 1-5). 



The cranium of M. murrayi is considerably more 

 elongate and compressed compared with that of its 

 congeners (Figures 3, 4). As a consequence, the 

 anterior margin of the vomer of M. murrayi is 

 deeply concave (nearly straight in other forms), 

 the frontals are more elongate and considerably 

 lighter in construction, the sphenotics are much 

 less produced forward, and the parietals do not 

 extend posteriorly to overlap the posttemporals as 

 they do in other Melanocetus species (Figures 1, 2). 



Mandibular arch (Figures 10, 11). — The anterior 

 portion of the premaxilla bears a short ascending 

 process and a slightly longer articular process. A 

 small (compared with those of oneirodids, Pietsch 

 1974) symphysial cartilage lies just behind the 



FISHERY BULLETIN; VOL. 78, NO. 1 



Supraoccipital 



Cut surface 



of frontal 



Epiotic 



Pterosplienoid 



Cut surface of 

 supraoccipital 



Splienotic 



Prootic 



Cut surface 

 of parasplienoid 



FIGURE 8. — Anterior view of posterior half of cranium of 

 Melanocetus murrayi, LACM 31501-3, 84 mm SL, anterior por- 

 tion removed. Cartilage stippled. 



Epiotic 



Parietal 



Sphenotic 



Posttemporal 



Pterotic 



Exoccipital 



20th pre-ural 

 centrum 



Figure 9. — Posterior view of cranium of Melanocetus murrayi, 

 LACM 31501-3, 84 mm SL. Cartilage stippled. 



posteriorly notched symphysis of the premaxillae. 

 There is no postmaxillary process of the pre- 

 maxilla. The elongate portion of each premaxilla 

 may bear up to 89 recurved, depressible teeth of 

 mixed sizes (Figure 10). 



On each side, the posterior ends of the pre- 

 maxilla and maxilla are united by connective tis- 

 sue to each other and to the lateral surface of the 

 ascending process of the articular of the lower jaw, 

 preventing any forward rotation of the upper jaw 

 bones to close off the corners of the mouth. There is 

 no elongate, anterior maxillomandibular liga- 

 ment originating on the dentary as in oneirodids 

 (labial cartilage of Le Danois 1964; Pietsch 1972a, 

 1974). 



The dentaries meet on the midline to form a 

 strong symphysial spine. Each dentary may bear 

 up to 71 recurved, depressible teeth of mixed sizes 

 (Figure 11). 



Palatine and hyoid arches (Figures 11, 12). — The 

 distal portion of the palatine arch (including the 

 mesopterygoid, ectopterygoid, and palatine) is 

 elongate and slender throughout (Figure 11). The 

 small mesopterygoid is in contact with the metap- 



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