Waite. — Notes on New Zealand Fishes. 129 



rig a low curve over the pectoral, passes along the middle of the caudal 

 peduncle to the base of the rays. 



Colours. — The upper surface is grey, the sides pinkish, and the under- 

 parts white ; the fins are reddish, with exception of the pectoral, which is 



tn'PV. 



length.— 700 mm. 



Loc. — Kaikoura, 200 fathoms. 



The type of the genus Mora* is known only from the Mediterranean 

 and eastern Atlantic, and is common at great depths. 



Judging from the figure published by Goode and Bean,f the new species 

 differs from M. moro in having a shorter snout, the first dorsal fin less 

 advanced (considerably behind the root of the pectoral instead of above it), 

 and the latter fin longer, extending beyond the first ray of the second dorsal. 

 The nostrils are not shown in the figure quoted. These authors state that 

 there are teeth pn the palatines. GuntherJ writes, " Teeth on the vomer 

 and sometimes on the palatines." There is no trace of palatine teeth in 

 our specimen : they are probably lost in adult life. 



19. Melanostigma flaccidum sp. nov. 

 Plate VI. 



Length of head and depth of body, 6-6 in the total : diameter of eye, 

 4-0 in the head. 



The maxillary extends to below the middle of the eye. The length of 

 the head is four-fifths its distance from the anal. Pectoral one-third the 

 length of the head. 



Length. — 204 mm. 



Colour. — Milky - white as seen through the gelatinous scaleless skin ; 

 dorsal surface finely spotted with black ; end of tail black, the colour con- 

 tinued forwards along the edges of the fins as shown in the figure ; lining 

 o^ mouth, gill-opening, and vent black. 



Loc. — Surface of the sea, Kaikoura. 



This specimen appears to differ from the type of the genus, M. gelati- 

 nosum Giinther, § in the much deeper body and slightly shorter head and 

 pectoral fin, while the markings, as described, do not correspond. It must 

 not, however, be overlooked that a fish a noticeable character of which is 

 an extremely loose skin, may assume different proportions according to its 

 vendition or method of preservation, and I shall not be surprised if the 

 Kaikoura specimen proves to be but another example of M . gelatinosum. 



The type specimen was taken in Magellan Strait at a depth of 24 

 fathoms, but the vertical range of the species is Very remarkable, individuals 

 having been secured from a depth of 641 fathoms, while the Kaikoura 

 3xample was taken alive at the surface of the sea. 



I have to thank Mr. Carl Jensen for the specimen, which was captured 

 on the 25th April, 1913. 



* Gadus moro Risso, Ichth. Nice. 1810, p. 116. Mora mediterranea Risso, Hist. Nat. 

 Europ. Merid., iii, 1826, p. 224. Asellus canariensis Valenciennes, Nat. Hist. lies Canari- 

 ennes, Poiss., p. 76. Pharopteryx benoit Ruppell, Verzeichn. Mus. Senckenb., Fische, 

 1852, p. 16. Note. — The name Asellus. as used by Valenciennes, does not appear 

 in the various Nomenclatores zoologici. 



t Goode and Bean, Oceanic Ichth.. 1895, p. 369, fig. 322. 



% Giinther, Cat. Fish. Brit, Mus., vol. 4, 1862, p. 341. 



§ Giinther, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1881, p. 21, pi. ii, fig. a. 



5 — Trans. 



