ZOARCIDAE 



109 



Skin rather loose, naked. Depth of body 6 to 7 in the length, length of head 4 to 4 J. 

 Diameter of eye 4 to 4! in length of head, equal to or greater than interorbital width. 

 In the two larger specimens the snout and lower jaw, as well as the opercular region, 

 are provided with broad dermal processes, of which one above each eye is most 

 prominent and is present also in the smaller specimens. Maxillary extending to below 

 middle or posterior part of eye; teeth strong, pointed, curved, more or less unequal in 

 size, those on the vomer and palatines larger than those in the jaws. About 65 rays 

 in the dorsal fin, about 55 in the anal; distance from head to origin of anal equal to 



Fig. 57. Maynea brevis. Holotype. x ij. 



or a little less than length of head. Pectoral f to f the length of head. Head, body and 

 fins spotted and variegated with dark brown ; some short cross-bars directed obliquely 

 forward on upper parts of sides ; 2 broad dark bars below the eye, another from the 

 eye to the edge of the praeoperculum, and usually another between the anterior parts 

 of the eyes ; dorsal and anal fins sometimes with a row of brown spots ; pectoral uniformly 

 yellowish or with small brown spots. 



Hab. Patagonian-Falklands region. 



It is possible that this species should be placed in a genus distinct from Maynea, as 

 it differs from M. patagonica and M. antarctica in the much shorter body, fewer fin-rays, 

 loose, naked skin, as well as in the presence of dermal processes on the head. The teeth 

 are also stronger, and in this character M. brevis approaches the genus Melanostigma. 



Genus Melanostigma, Giinther 



1 881, Proc. Zool. Soc, p. 21 ; Regan, 1913, Trans. R. Soc. Edinb., xlix, p. 248. Type M. gela- 

 tinosum, Giinther. 

 Skin naked. Body compressed, elongate. Mouth terminal; teeth uniserial in both 

 jaws and on vomer and palatines. Gill-opening small, above base of pectoral. Dorsal 

 origin just behind head; no pelvic fins. 



Several species from deep water in the Atlantic and Pacific : two from the Patagonian 

 region. 



Melanostigma gelatinosum, Giinther. 



Melanostigma gelatinosum, Giinther, 1881, Proc. Zool. Soc, p. 21, pi. ii, fig. A; Regan, 1913, 



Trans. R. Soc. Edinb., xlix, p. 248. 



Skin loose. Depth of body about 10 in the length, length of head 6. Diameter of 



eye 3^, interorbital width about 12 in length of head. Mouth oblique; maxillary 



extending to below middle of eye ; a patch of teeth on the vomer, the middle teeth 



larger. Distance from head to origin of anal equal to length of head. Pectoral nearly 



