Vol. XXVI, pp. 75-78 March 22, 1913 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



THE SCALES OF THE SIMENCHELYID, OPHIDITD, 

 BROTULID AND BREGMACEROTID FISHES. 



BY T. I). A. COGKERELL. 



I am greatly indebted to Mr. C. Tate Regan, of the British 

 Museum, for scales of four families of fishes which I had not 

 previously been able to study. The specimens prove not merely 

 interesting, as representing undescribed forms, but quite remark- 

 able for the light they seem to throw on the structure and 

 relationship of other scales. 



SlMENCHELYIDiE. 



Simenchelys parasiticus. North Atlantic. The minute scales are about 

 Tl'Om long and 225 broad, thus greatly elongated, and rounded at the 

 ends. The scale consists of concentric rows of minute oblong elements, 

 which, when the scales are broken, rather readily come apart. These 

 structures are identical in general cbaracter with the separate elements 

 described and figured by H. \Y. Marett Tims (Quart. Journ. Micr. Sci., 

 49, Oct., L905, pi. 6) as occurring in Gadus. Essentially the same thing 

 is found in Synaphobranchus pinnatus. The structural resemblance 

 between the scales of the eels and those of the Brotulidae, <ladid;e. etc., 

 is astonishing. 



I M'HIDIIO.E. 



Genypterus blacodes. Tasmania. Scales about 2 mm. long and 1% 

 broad, usually distinctly subtriangular, with the corners obtuse. The 

 numerous radii extend in every direction from the nucleus, and the whole 

 scale is divided into small transversely elongate plates, precisely in the 

 manner of Gadus. The plates are very minutely beaded or nodulose on 

 the outer (laterad ) side, a fact first noted by Dr. Max Ellis, who examined 

 the scale- with me. Some of the radii are incomplete, as may lie seen 

 in <;<i'lus (Tims, 1. c, id. <l, f. 6). Except for the subtriangular shape 

 and the minute nodulosity of the outer sides of the plates, I do not know 

 how the scale of < ,', ni/fitn-ux can be separated from that of Gadus. 



18— Proc. Bioi . Soc. W iSH., Vol. XXVI, 1913. (7.">) 



