ANOTOPTERIDAE 

 In fin-ray counts Macroparalepis molestus is intermediate between the two genera. 



317 



Lastly, in colour pattern Macroparalepis molestus partly resembles Stemonosudis in having saddles of 

 pigment along the back, but there are no alternating blotches on the base of the anal fin. Furthermore, 

 it is interesting that a pigmentation very similar to that described for Stemonosudis has been found by 

 Harry (19536) in a fish that he identifies as a post-larval Macroparalepis. 



In the present state of our knowledge, it would thus appear advisable to retain Macroparalepis as 

 defined by Ege (1933). 



The Family ANOTOPTERIDAE 

 Anotopterus pharao Zugmayer. 



Anotopterus pharao Zugmayer, 191 1. Result. Camp. sci. Monaco, p. 138, pi. 4, fig. 4 (for a full synonymy see Hubbs, 

 Mead and Wilimovsky (1953)). 



During the 1949-50 Antarctic whaling season, the captain of one of the whale-catchers attached to 

 F/F ' Balaena ' of United Whalers Limited, obtained a large fish belonging to the genus Anotopterus: it 

 was swimming at the surface, the position being approximately lat. 69 S, long. 170 E (Ross Sea area). 



Our knowledge of this genus is limited and a search was made through the unnamed Discovery 

 Collections in the hope of finding other specimens. Eventually a small individual of standard length 

 100 mm. was found: it was taken in the South Atlantic (23 16' S, 01 ° 51-7' W) in a 450 cm. net 

 hauled obliquely between 600 m. and the surface. The study of these two individuals, as well as of 

 the type of Eugnathosaurus vorax Regan and of a specimen of Anotopterus pharao from Madeira, forms 

 the basis of this section. 



Zugmayer (191 1), after examining a fish of total length 165 mm. taken by ' Princesse-Alice ' at the 

 North Atlantic station 3028 (36 54' 30" N, n° 49' W), described a new genus and species A. pharao 

 and furthermore proposed that it should be assigned to a new family, the Anotopteridae. A second 

 fish of 291 mm. taken off Madeira was described by Roule (1927) and compared with the type speci- 

 men. Legendre (1934) found five individuals of this species (from 127 mm. to 144 mm.) in the 

 stomachs of Thunnus alalunga, caught by fishermen in the Bay of Biscay. These specimens were 

 examined by Roule (1935). 



More recently Maul (1946) and Nybelin (1946) have written on Anotopterus. Maul obtained speci- 

 mens of A. pharao from the stomachs of Alepisaurus ferox, caught off Madeira by local fishermen. 

 Nybelin studied a head (length 150-160 mm.) obtained from the stomach of a halibut (caught by 

 M/S 'Arctica' at 64 25' N, 53 30' W), and proposed the species Anotopterus arcticus. He also 

 examined a complete specimen, of standard length 650 mm., found in the stomach of a fin whale 

 (harpooned in the Weddell Sea at 62 02' S, 38 25' W) which he regarded as another new species, 

 A. antarcticus. Nybelin (1946) also reviewed Eugnathosaurus vorax, which was described by Regan 

 (1913) from a head trawled off Coats Land by the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (station 417 

 at 71 ° 22' S, 1 6° 34' W), and he rightly saw that this was a species of Anotopterus, but concluded that 

 owing to certain differences in the dentition it was distinct from A. antarcticus. 



Young A. pharao have been recorded from the eastern North Atlantic by Nybelin (1948) and Maul 

 (1952). Nybelin's fish is about 14 mm. long and has 4 palatine teeth: Maul found 14 palatine teeth in a 

 specimen of standard length 47-5 mm. 



