Beuky. — Cephalopoda from the Rermadec Island.''. 145 



Fain. ENOPLOTEUTHIDAE Pfeffer, 1900. 

 Genus Abralia Gray, 1849. 

 Abralia astrolineata n. sp. Plate X, figs. 1 and 2. 



Mantle cylindro-conical, broadest anteriorly ; tapering but slightly for 

 about half its length, thence rapidly, and then more gradually again to 

 a rather blunt point, the presence of 3 faint light-coloured swellings or 

 tubercles (one median and very indistinct, the others lateral, slightly more 

 conspicuous, and situated close up under the base of the fins) giving rise 

 to a general swollen appearance just in front of the actual tip. Anterior 

 mantle-margin with only a slight obtuse median angle dorsally, and some- 

 what more acute lateral angles below on either side of a shallow emargina- 

 tion under the funnel. Fins large, broadly triangular ; about three-sevenths 

 as long as the body, their combined width about three-fourths the length 

 of the body ; anterior margins slightly arcuate, with a conspicuous notch 

 next the body ; posterior margins slightly concave, and barely produced 

 posteriorly to include the tip of the body. 



Head squarish, flattened above excavated below. Ocular apertures 

 very large, their margins with only a faint obtuse angle in front in place 

 of the usual sinus. Funnel broadly triangular ; swollen below ; squarish 

 at the extremity. 



Arms about two-thirds as long as the body ; unequal, the order of rela- 

 tive length 4, 2, 3, 1 ; dorsal arms a little more slender than the others, 

 rounded at the base, but with traces of a keel distally ; second-arm pair 

 angular and weakly keeled, third pair more so ; ventral arms with a broad 

 keel along their outer margins forming the usual sheath at the base for the 

 tentacles ; ' swimming membranes " present on all the arms, the ventral 

 membrane of the third pair being especially well developed. Each arm is 

 equipped with 2 rows of small hooks, but on all. even the ventral pair, 

 these are succeeded by true suckers on the distal portions, though the latter 

 are notably fewer on the ventral arms than on the others. 



Tentacles long and rather slender ; club little expanded, and armed 

 over the distal half of its inner face with 4 rows of very minute suckers, 

 replaced proximally by a single row of sharp and slender hooks, with 2 

 series of wide-mouthed suckers opposite. The left tentacle-club of the 

 present specimen (which is better preserved than its mate) shows the rows 

 of hooks to comprise 1 small proximal hook succeeded by 4 larger ones, 

 while the suckers of the outermost series are notably larger than those 

 corresponding in the inner row. The carpal fixing-apparatus contains 5 

 small suckers, the proximal one excessively minute, and a probably similar 

 group of pads, the exact number of which I have been unable to determine. 

 On the right tentacle there appear to be but 4 suckers in the fixing- 

 apparatus and only 4 hooks on the club. The horny rings on the largest 

 tentacular suckers are armed with some 27-29 round-pointed teeth. 



The photogenic organs are very numerous, and heir somewhat unusual 

 distribut'on may be briefly outlined as follows, according to the regions of 

 the body which they occupy. 



A. The Mantle. 



1. Ventral Aspect. — -Here the arrangement of the numerous luminous 

 organs shows an essential bilateral symmetry throughout. The entire 

 medio-ventral line of the body is marked by a narrow clear space, slightly 

 broadening posteriorly just before reaching the tip of the body, and devoid 

 of photophores. Defining the clear strip on either side are 2 conspicuous 



