ANOTOPTERIDAE 321 



as young to small adults in the warmer waters and as large adults only in colder waters towards the 

 poles '. Perhaps there is some overlap between the spawning areas of northern and southern forms ; 

 perhaps the idea of these two forms is an over-simplification. But these questions must obviously 

 await further data. 



Table 3. Numbers of palatine teeth and vertebrae in Anotopterus pharao 



Lastly, it should be mentioned that the large Antarctic fish bears, on either side of the tail, two 

 basicaudal dermal keels very similar to those described by Hubbs et al. (1953) for their large Pacific 

 fishes. 



Distribution. It will be apparent from the quotation above, that Hubbs et al. (1953) concluded that 

 adult Anotopterus probably have an antitropical (bipolar) distribution. The facts presented here — the 

 presence of a young fish in the South Atlantic at latitude 23 S a>nd of a 732 mm. individual in Antarctic 

 waters — does not conflict with this conception. 



Concerning the vertical distribution there is definite support for the contention of the foregoing 

 workers that Anotopterus, at least when adult, is a surface-dwelling fish. 



The fish caught at the surface in the Ross Sea area by the whale-catcher had a very distended 

 abdomen. Soon after capture, this individual vomited up two moderately large Notolepis coatsi Dollo 

 of standard lengths 180 mm. and 270 mm. The stomach of each of these fishes was bloated with krill 

 (Euphausia superba). 



N. coatsi are often to be found in the stomachs of whale-bone whales : in fact nearly all the sizeable 

 specimens in the museum collections have been obtained from whales (see also Clarke, 1950). 

 Examination of the stomach contents of twelve Notolepis has invariably shown them to have been 

 eating adult krill. As Notolepis feeds on the krill of the surface waters, it is evidently preyed on by 

 Anotopterus and in turn both may be fortuitously swallowed by the krill-engulfing whales. It may be 



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