SOUTH AFRICA 49 



Key to the Species^ 

 I. Snout li to 1 1 times eye, which is 4! to 5^ in head; barbel longer than eye. 



A. Depth 4 to 4J in length; pectoral about i| in head. 



1. Dorsal 4 + 52-56; 15 or 16 scales between first dorsal fin and lateral line ... guentheri. 



2. Dorsal 4+60; about 18 scales between first dorsal fin and lateral line ... oidema. 



B. Depth more than 5 in length; pectoral about iJ in head; dorsal and anal with deep 

 black margins, the black area covering greater part of fin posteriorly ... ... natalensis. 



II. Snout as long as or shorter than eye, which is zf to 3f in head ; barbel generally shorter than 

 eye. 



A. Filamentous dorsal ray much longer than head; dorsal 4 or 5 + 52-62; 155 or more 

 scales in lateral line. 



1. About 155 to 180 scales in lateral line, about 13 to 16 between first dorsal fin and 

 lateral line; caudal peduncle 3^ to 4 times as long as deep. 



a. Dorsal 4 (5) + 52, anal 46-48; scales 1 55-1 60/1 3 or 14 ... ... ... lepidion. 



b. Dorsal 4+56-62; anal 49-54; scales 180/15 or 16 eqiies. 



2. About 220 to 250 scales in lateral line, about 18 to 20 between first dorsal fin and 

 lateral line; caudal peduncle i\ to nearly 3 times as long as deep. 



a. Last ray of second dorsal nearly above that of anal; eye 3!, pectoral if in head; 

 dorsal 5 + 60, anal 52 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... inosimae. 



b. Last ray of second dorsal posterior to that of anal; eye 2f to 35, pectoral if to if 

 in head; dorsal 5 + 52-56, anal 46-50. 



a. Caudal peduncle ig to twice as long as deep; filamentous dorsal ray not broad 

 and compressed ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... capensis. 



/3. Caudal peduncle 23 to nearly 3 times as long as deep ; filamentous dorsal ray 

 broad and compressed ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ensiferus. 



B. Filamentous dorsal ray much shorter than head; about 140 scales in lateral line; dorsal 



5 + 50; caudal peduncle about 2i times as long as deep ... ... ... ... nwdestus. 



Lepidion guentheri (Giglioli). 



Haloporphyriis lepidion {noii Risso), Johnson, 1862, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (3) x, p. 166; Giinther, 



1862, Cat. Fish., iv, p. 358. 

 Haloporphyrus guentheri, Giglioli, 1880, Nature, XXI, p. 202; Vinciguerra, 1883, Ann. Mus. 

 Civ. stor. nat. Genova, xviii, p. 558; Giinther, 1887, Deep-Sea Fish. 'Challenger' , p. 90, 

 pi. xviii, fig. A; Carus, 1889-93, Prodr. Faun. Medit., 11, p. 576. 

 Lepidion guentheri, Goode and Bean, 1895, Ocean. Ichth., p. 370. 

 Hab. Mediterranean and adjacent parts of the Atlantic. 

 In the British Museum 2 specimens, 500 and 610 mm. in total length. 



Lepidion oidema (Tanaka). 



Haloporphyrus oidema, Tanaka, 1927, Fig. Descr. Fish. Japan, XLI, p. 796, pi. clxxi, fig. 472. 



Hab. Deep water off Misaki, Sagami Prov., Japan. 



The type was 345 mm. long. This species may prove to be identical with the pre- 

 ceding one. 



1 Microlepidium , Garman, is distinguished by the longer lower jaw, higher number of rays in the first 

 dorsal fin, absence of filamentous dorsal ray, much larger number of pyloric appendages, elc. There are two 

 species: M. verecundum (Gilbert) and M. grandiceps, Garman. 



