124 



DISCOVERY REPORTS 



Helicolenus lahillei, sp.n. "Rouget." 



Helicolenus dactylopterus (non Delaroche), Lahille, 1913, Anal. Mus. Nac. B. Aires, xxiv, p. 5, 

 pi. ii; Devincenzi, 1924, Anal. Mus. Montevideo (11) 1 (5), p. 249; Fowler, 1927, Proc. 

 Acad. N.S. Philad., lxxviii, p. 272. 



Depth of body about 3 in the length, length of head 2f to z%. Snout shorter than 

 eye, diameter of which is about 3 in length of head and 2§ times the interorbital width. 

 Praeorbital spines feeble ; suborbital ridge with a small spine below the posterior edge 

 of the eye; 5 praeopercular spines; a pair of spines on the snout between the nostrils, 

 a spine above the front of each orbit, and 3 above its posterior angle ; 2 pairs of spines 

 on the occipital region. Maxillary with a large patch of scales, extending to below hinder 

 part of eye. Gill-rakers of moderate length, the longest nearly \ diameter of eye; 

 19 or 20 on lower part of anterior arch. 4 or 5 series of scales between last soft-ray of 

 dorsal and lateral line. Dorsal XII 12; third (or fourth) spine longest, about \ as long 



Fig. 68. Heliocolenus lahillei. Holotype. 



as head. Anal III 5. Pectoral with 19 rays, the 2 uppermost simple, the next 9 branched, 

 and the 8 lowermost simple ; fin extending to above the vent. Pelvic fin scarcely reaching 

 the vent. Pale yellowish-brown (red in life) ; upper parts of sides more or less spotted 

 or mottled with dark brown ; membrane of spinous dorsal with dark spots and blotches ; 

 lining of body cavity and of branchial chamber black. 



Hab. Coasts of Uruguay and northern Argentina. 



Described from 2 specimens, 155 and 172 mm. in total length, from off the coast of 

 Uruguay (35 S, 53 W), received from Dr Marini. The larger of these is selected as 

 the holotype. 



This fish, of which a coloured figure has been published by Lahille, has been 

 identified by South American authors with Helicolenus dactylopterus (Delaroche), from 

 the Mediterranean and adjacent parts of the Atlantic. Comparing the two small 

 specimens described above with some of the European species of similar size, they 

 appear to be distinguished chiefly by the more numerous gill-rakers, rather larger 

 scales, and the higher dorsal spines. H. lahillei is also closely related to H. maculatus 



