2^6 DISCOVERY REPORTS 



PSYCHROLUTIDAE 

 Neophrynichlhys marmoratus Gill. This creature of hideous aspect is locally known as ' el Gran sapo 

 de Mar'— the great big-toad of the sea. A glance at Lt.-Col. Tenison's drawing (Norman, 1937, 

 p. 128) shows why. It was obtained in small numbers at a few stations in the southern part of the area 

 investigated. Although the depth range was very wide, it is perhaps noteworthy that the only haul 

 in which it was at all plentiful was made in very shallow water just south of the entrance to Magellan 

 Strait. The distribution appears to be correlated with prevalence of rough ground, which is perhaps 

 a necessity for survival of such an obviously slow-swimming gelatinous creature, lacking all armament 

 (the dermal excrescences are not spinose). Thus we found it only inshore, or out on the edge of the 

 main slope, on ground so foul that little trawling could be done there. This distribution may be con- 

 trasted with that of Congiopodus, a member of the nearest related Scorpaenoid family, which, with its 

 heavy dermal armour, inhabits the centre of the shelf: 



AGONIDAE 



Agonopsis chiloensis (Jenyns). To the south Agonopsis was found chiefly on the shallower coastal 

 grounds. Farther north it penetrated to the centre of the shelf also, and there some 30% of our 

 specimens were secured. Its distribution is of great interest, for it seems to show a strong tendency 

 to remain in localized areas, roughly intermediate between the contrasted types of distribution shown 

 by the two species last mentioned, and in conformity with what one might infer of its habits. 



The fish is small, seldom exceeding a length of 15 cm., and the body is, in Boulenger's words, 'com- 

 pletely cuirassed with osseous scutes', giving it a lizard-like appearance. The body is marked by a 

 number of brown cross-bars on a sandy buff background. Beyond a very evident lack of agility there 

 is little direct evidence as to its habits. 



The colour of Agonopsis was often matched by hauls of buff-coloured invertebrates such as the 

 hydrocaulus of tubularians and the reef-like polyzoan Smittina among which it was found ; or the 

 sand, shell and coral fragments of the bottom deposit. 



Agonopsis was often caught in the Russell bottom-net. Unless these were individuals behaving in 

 an exceptional manner, it shows that the fish rise when disturbed, or alternatively are in the habit 

 of swimming several inches above the sea-floor. The small flatfish Thysanopsetta lives right on the 

 bottom and was very commonly caught in the fine nets attached to the back of the trawl, but was 

 taken in the Russell net only once. 



As can be seen from Fig. 52, Agonopsis was caught in five separate localities. The conclusion that this 

 indicates a stationary habit is borne out by the fact that within each group catches were secured in 

 different months. In the most northern of these localities the fish were met with in October, December 

 and March; in the most eastern (Falklands area) in February, May and September; while in two 

 others the fish were met with in different years : 



