DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 243 



POLYMIXIA, Lowe. 



Polymixia, Lowe, Trans. Cambiidgo Phil. Soc, 1838, vi, 198.— GiJNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus.,l, 16. 

 Nimohrama, Valkxciexnes, in Webb and Berthelot, Ichth. lies Cauar. Poiss., 10. 

 Dincmus, Poky, Mem. Hist. Nat., Cuba, ii, 161, 1860. 



Siiout short, with the cleft of the mouth nearly horizoiital. Eye hirge. Two barbels 

 at the throat. Opercles without armature. Scales of moderate size. One dorsal. Anal 

 with 3 or 4 spines. Caudal forked. Veutrals with C or 7 short rays. (Gihither.) 



The fishes of this genus have, according to Giiuther, about the same bathymetrical 

 and horizontal distribution as Beryx. 



POLYMIXIA NOBILIS, Luwe. (Figure 241.) 



Polymixia nobilis, LoWE, Cambr. Phil. Trans., 1838, vi, 198. (Specimens from Madeir.a). — Gunther, Cat. 



Fish. Brit. Mus., i, 17; Challenger Report, xxii, 1887, 34, pi. i, fig. 31.— Alcock, Ann. and Mag. Nat. 



Hist., 1889 (Nov.), 381. 

 Nemohrama TVcbhii, VALE>fClENNES, in Webb & Berthelot, Ichthyol. lies Canaries, 41, pi. viii (specimens 



from the Canaries). 

 Pohjmixia Loicei, Gunther, oj). cit.,l, 17. — Poey, Repert. Fis. Nat. Cuba, n, 159. 

 Dinemus vcnustus, Poey, Mem. Hist. Nat, Cub.i, ii, I860, 161, 3.52, pi, xiv, tig. 1 {liarbudo in Cuba), — Zoolog- 



ieal Record, 1868, 147, 

 Polymixia jnponica, Ginther, Ann. and Mag, Nat. Hist., 1877, xx, 436 (specimens from Inosima, Japan). — 



Steindachner, Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien, 1883, XLVii, 261, tab. iv, fig. 2. 



A Po?//w(j'(V(, with compressed, elevated body, whose height is contained 3^ times in 

 its total length, and is nearly equal to the length of head. Head with blunt snout and 

 slightly projecting upper jaw. Mouth wide, the ma.xillary ending beyond vertical from 

 posterior margin of orbit, and terminating po.steriorly in a broad plate. Teeth in broad, 

 velvet-like bands, i)rcsent on jaws, palatines, pterygoids, vonieriues, tongue, and branchial 

 arches. Eye placed high, but below upper profile of head ; its diameter contained about 

 3 times in the head's length. Opercles spineless. Scales oblique, irregular, completely 

 covering body and head; 48-54 in lateral line. 



Eadial formula: D. V, 28-;5S; A. III-IV, 10-18; V. i, 6-7. 



Color a soft violet, brownish, opalescent on the back and fins. Upper margin of orbit, 

 and two bands above the snout, golden green ; maxillary roseate, inner margin of caudal 

 lobes whitish. Iris white, oiialescent. 



Tliis species has been exhaustively studied by Dr. Giinther, who has access to speci- 

 mens from various parts of the tropical and subtropical Atlantic, namely, near Madeira, 

 the Canary Islands, St. Helena, and Cuba. The ChaUoKjer expedition brought home speci- 

 mens from the Sea of Japan, where they were captured oft' Inosima at a depth of 34.j fath- 

 oms. The Investigator took it in the Andaman seas, in 271 fathoms. The species has been 

 found by Poey at Cuba. The British ^Museum in 1886 received a specimen from Mauritius, 

 the first of its kind which the fishermen remembered to have seen. The wide geographical 

 range of this form is remarkable, although it is possible that it does not descend to very 

 great depths or extend beyond the tropical or subtropical zones. From comparison of all 

 the materials in his possession, Dr. Giinther has become convinced that the differences 

 on which he formerly based his conclusion that there were three species, were really not 

 sufiiciently marked to justify his conclusions. 



Family POMACENTRID.^. 



Pomaeentridn-, Bonaparte, Catalogo Metodico, Pesci Europei, 1846, 81.— GtiNXHEK, Cat. Fish., Brit. Mus,, 



IV, 1802, 2. — Gill, Arr. Fam, Fishes, 1872, 7. No, 64, 

 Pomaceiilroidci, Bleeker, Tentamen, 1859, xviii. 



PharjTigognaths with ctenoid scales, pseudobranchi;B and gills 3,^. Teeth feeble; pal- 

 ate edentulous. Lateral line incomplete or interrupted. Dorsal in two nearly equal 

 porti(Uis, the first spinous. Anal similar to soft portion of dorsal. Yentrals thoracic, I, 5. 

 Branch iostegals, V-Vii. Pseudobranchiic present. Air bladder present. 



The Pomacenfrids live in warm waters, especially among coral reefs and usually ueai 



