DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 

 ACROPOMA, Temminck and Schlegel. 



235 



Acropoma, Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Poissons, 31. 



Seven branchiostegals. Teeth villiform, with canines in both the jaws; teeth on the 

 palatine bones. Two dorsals, the first with 7 (8) spines, the anal fin with 3. Operculum 

 produced into a long denticulated point, preoperculiim entire. Anus nearer the root of 

 the ventrals than the origin of the anal. Scales moderate, deciduous, minutely ciliated. 



One species of the single genus of this family, Acropoma phiUppinense, Giinther, (Chal- 

 lenger Report, Part vi, 51 ; xxii, 15) was found near the Philippine Islands by the Challenger 

 at a depth of 82 to 102 fathoms. 



Family SCOMBROPID^E. 



SeombropidcE, Gux, MS. 



Percoidea, with teeth on jaws, vomer and palatines, and long, strong canines in both 

 jaws, sometimes barbed. Bones of skull without denticulations. Operculum with 2 weak 

 spines. Scales rather small, very thin, smooth. {Gill.) 



SCOMBROPS, Temminck and Schlegel. 



Scombrops, Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, 118.— Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mu8., I, 249. 

 LatebrM, Poey, Mem. Hist. Nat. Cuba, ii, 1858, 158. 



Scombropids having 2 long canine teeth in the upper jaw and a series of similar teeth in 

 the lower. First dorsal with 8 spines; anal with 3 spines. Bones of the skull without 

 denticulations. Spines feeble. Lower jaw longest. 



Scombrops chilodiptekoides. 



This genus is represented in the Japanese Sea by a single species, 8. chilodipteroUles, 

 obtained by the Dutch naturalists and by the Challenger off Inosima, Japan, at a depth of 

 345 fathoms. The Ohullenger specimen was 16 inches long. 



SCOMBROPS OCULATUS, Poey. 



Latebrus oculaliis, Poey, Mem. Hist. Nat. Cuba, ii, 1858, 168, PI. xni, Figs. 11, 12 (jaws with teeth) ; PI, XTV, 

 fig. 2 (outline). — GiJNTHER, Challenger Report, xxil, 1887, 14. 



Body elongate, its height contained 4"^ tinu's in its total length; the head 3i. The eye 

 is very large, its diameter contained 3i times in the length of the head. The nostrils have 

 vertical apertures, and are near the orbit. The length of the maxillary is four-fifths that of 

 the diameter of the eye. The suprascapulary bone projects. The premaxillary bears about 

 12 canine teeth; there are 2 to 4 teeth longer than the others on its anterior portion on the 

 inner edge. The teeth of the mandible are a little longer than those on the maxillary. 



The first dorsal originates in the vertical from the lower base of the pectoral, and the 

 second over the vent but a little in advance of it. The second doi'sal and the anal are 

 similar in form and height; they are triangular, with sharp angle, and emarginate. The 

 caudal is forked. The first spine of the dorsal is feeble, although nearly as high as the 



