Bd. V: 6) THE FISHES OF THE SWEDISH SOUTH POLAR EXPEDITION. 43 



13. Muraenolepts marmoratus Günther n. subsp. raicrops. 



3 specimens South Georgia, Cumberland Bay, depth lOO m., clayey bottom, 

 20th of May 1902, caught on long-lines. 



I small specimen (about 13V'' cm.) Boiler Harbour, Bay of Pots, Cumberland 

 Bay, South Georgia, caught with a net from a depth of 20 m., clay and algse. 30th 

 of May 1902. 



The type specimens of this species were originally collected by the "Challenger" 

 Expedition at Kerguelen Land. GüNTHER's description* does not agree in all respects 

 with the specimens from South Georgia. In the small specimen, measuring about 14 

 cm., the eye is contained about 5 times, interorbital width about 4 times and snout 

 about 3 times in length of head, while according to GÜNTHER all these dimensions 

 are said to be about equal and "rather less than one-fourth of the length of the hea ". 



In larger specimens measuring resp. 325 and 335 mm. in total length, the eye 

 is contained about 6 times in length of head, interorbital width about 4 times, and 

 snout 3 times. These relations are consequently similar to those of the small spe- 

 cimen; the only difference is that the eye is comparatively smaller, as usual, in 

 older specimens. 



In a quite j'oung specimen of Miirœnolepis (measuring 85 mm.) from Tierra del 

 Fuego (conf. p. 9) the eye is contained 4V3, interorbital width 3V3 and snout 2''/5 

 times in length of head. The eye is thus comparatively larger, interorbital width 

 and snout smaller as they ought to be in a young fish, but they are not equal as 

 in the types of M2irœnolepis marmoratus GÜNTHER. The eye is in all stages of 

 growth of this Murœnolepis considerably smaller, when compared with the head, 

 than in GüNTHER's types, although the size of the latter was about equal to the 

 two younger specimens of this collection, and at the same time the snout of these 

 fishes is much longer. There appears therefore to be a constant difference in rela- 

 tive dimensions. To this may be added, that the barbel, which in GüNTHER's types 

 is said to be "shorter than the eye", in all the present specimens, young and oldi 

 is longer than the eye. The dorsal filament is said to be "as long as the eye" in 

 GüNTHER's types, but in these specimens the former is considerably longer, both in 

 young and old. Finally may be added an important characteristic from the ventrals, 

 which in GüNTHER's types are said to be "composed of five rays" but in all the 

 specimens of this collection are provided with four rays only. 



When all these differences are considered I feel compelled to regard the Murteno- 

 lepis of South Georgia as a separate geographic subspecies distinct from that of 

 Kerguelen Land. It is also represented at Tierra del F"uego (conf. p. 9). 



'"Challenger": Report on the Shore fishes (Zoology Vol. 1), p. 17 — 18. 



