DISTRIBUTION AND GENERAL NOTES ON THE SPECIES 37S 



and large quantities are also taken by European trawlers off north Norway. Its Patagonian relative 

 could be utilized, but seems to be so rare that it could never form an important part of a commercial 

 catch. 



Norman tells us that in South America Sebastodes is known as 'cabrilla'. This name is in much 

 more general use for the Serranidae in warmer waters of the Caribbean Sea and elsewhere. 



Specimens of S. oculatus were obtained by the ' William Scoresby ' as shown below : 



WS800B I, length 30 cm., weight 500 g. {K = 1-852)1 



WSSii II I, length 40 cm., weight 1200 g. (A' = 1-875) " I" ' Trawl + accessory nets' 



WS823 I, length 23 cm. J 



Fortune Bay, Baverstock Island, 5. v. 31, 2 on LH at 22 m. depth, lengths 25 and 27 cm., weights 233 and 283 g. (giving 



i^= 1-491 and 1-438) 

 Puerto Acero, 9. v. 31, i on LH at 23 m. depth. 



WS742A I in BTS at 58 m. depth. 



Helicolenus lahillei Norman. We did not obtain any specimens of this species, but as Norman (1937, 

 p. 124) gives 'coasts of Uruguay and northern Argentina' as its habitat, it is possible that it may 

 occasionally reach the northern part of our area. A specimen of the closely allied H. lengerichi Norman 

 was taken by the ' William Scoresby ' during the Peru Current investigation, but this is known only 

 from the west coast of South America. 



CONGIOPODIDAE 



Congiopodus penwiamis Cuvier and Valenciennes. This heavy little fish of grotesque appearance was 

 well figured by Lt.-Col. Tenison (Norman, 1937, p. 127). It was never abundant, and is most unlikely 

 to have any economic value, but the known facts of its distribution are of considerable biological 

 interest. 



Congiopodus has a crest-like dorsal fin supported by strong spiky fin rays. The three recurved anterior 

 rays project over the head. This armature is supplemented by downwardly directed spines on the 

 pelvic fins and by a most unusually tough skin. From its appearance the fish seems in no way adapted 

 to swimming fast, but rather to hovering. The olive-coloured skin is variously spotted and marbled 

 with dark brown or black. It matches the colour of much of the bottom deposit and may be supposed 

 to have concealment value. 



Congiopodus was found within limited areas on the plain of the shelf, mostly in the northern and 

 intermediate regions, at different seasons and even in different years, as the records show. It was 

 never taken at less than 63 miles from land, and only once at more than 200 miles. Further, it showed 

 a very restricted depth distribution, all the records falling within the range 97-146 m. These data, 

 coupled with the characteristics making for a stationary disposition already described, strongly suggest 

 that Congiopodus does not wander about, but that these areas on the plain of the shelf are more or less 

 permanent haunts. The extreme geographical range of the species is, however, wide, extending 

 throughout the temperate waters of South America, on both coasts from Uruguay to Peru. 



Our specimens of Congiopodus, all taken in the ' Trawl + accessory nets', were obtained at the 



following stations : 



WS97 I WS792B 



WS217 2 WS793 



WS790A I WS794 



WS791A I WS800B 



WS791B 2 WS807 



WS792A 9 WS85S 



