GADIDAE 



5i 



B. Pelvic fin reduced to a bifid filament, with or without some other rudimentary rays. 



1. First dorsal with 8 to 10 rays; pelvic much longer than head ... Urophyi IS. 



2. First dorsal with 5 or 6 rays; pelvic usually shorter than head ... Lai WONi \i i. 



Micromesistius australis, sp.n. 



St. WS80. 14. iii. 27. 50°57' S, 63°37' 30" W. Commercial otter trawl, 152-15 1 m.: 4 specimens, 

 445-510 mm. (holotype, 445 mm.). 



St. WS99. 19. iv. 27. 49 42' S, 59° 14' 30" W. Commercial otter trawl, 251-255 m.: 5 specimens, 

 395-440 mm. 



St. WS 216. 1. vi. 28. 47 37' S, 6o° 50' W. Commercial otter trawl, 219-133 m.: 1 specimen, 

 165 mm. 



St. WS 218. 2. vi. 28. 45 45' S, 59 35' W. Commercial otter trawl, 311-247 m.: 1 specimen, 

 435 mm. 



St. WS 816. 14. i. 32. 52 09' 45" S, 64 56' W. Commercial otter trawl, 150 m.: 1 specimen, 

 435 mm. 



St. WS 817. 14. i. 32. 52 23' S, 64° 19' W. Commercial otter trawl, 191-238 m.: 9 specimens, 



2 73-455 mm. 



St. WS 818. 17. i. 32. 52 31' 15" S, 63 25' W. Commercial otter trawl, 272-284 m.: 10 speci- 

 mens, 280-485 mm. 



St. WS 824. 19. i. 32. 52° 29' 15" S, 58 27' 15" W. Net (7 mm. mesh) attached to back of trawl, 

 146-137 m.: 1 specimen, 85 mm. 



St. WS 850. 11. ii. 32. 51 18' 45" S, 63 30' 15" W. Net (7 mm. mesh) attached to back of 

 trawl, 157-166 m.: 1 specimen, 70 mm. 



Related to Micromesistius poutassou. Depth of body 6| to 7! in the length, length 

 of head 4 (young) to 4^. Snout a little longer than eye, diameter of which is 3 1 to 4 

 in length of head and greater than interorbital width. Maxillary extending to below 

 anterior part of eye, length z\ to z\ in that of head; lower jaw more or less strongly 



Fig. 22. Micromesistius australis. Holotype. x J. 



projecting; teeth rather more feeble than in M. poutassou. 35 to 39 gill-rakers on lower 

 part of anterior arch. Dorsal 11-13, 10-14, 22-26; interval between first and second 

 dorsal a little less than base of former, that between second and third 1^ to if times 

 base of second. Anal 35-38, 21-25. Pectoral with about 20 rays, length 1^ to if in that 

 of head. Pelvics 6-rayed. 



Hah. Patagonian-Falklands region. 



This species is very close to M. poutassou (Risso), from the Mediterranean and 



adjacent parts of the Atlantic, but may be at once recognized by the more numerous 



7-2 



