ADDITIONS TO THE FISH FAUNA OF LORD HOWE ISLAND "WAITE. 1 97 



Leptocephalus cinereus, Riippell. 

 Conger marginatus, Valenciennes. 



This species has been recorded from Torres Straits. The island 

 example differs only from the descriptions in being of less uniform 

 colouration ; the ground colour is grey, crossed by about tifteen 

 irregular more or less complete bands of a darker tint. There is 

 a jet black spot near the tip of the pectoral, on the inner side of 

 which it becomes a much more extensive blotch. The specimen, 

 preserved in formol, has the colours unusually well retained. 



Atopichthys, Garman. 



" Heretofore certain pelagic, much compressed, band-like, 

 translucent to transparent, larval fishes, have been placed in the 

 genus Leptocephalus of Gronow, 1763. The type of the genus is 

 Leptocephalus Morrisii, Penn., 1776, a larval form which has 

 lately been traced to its adult in Mursena conger, Linn., 1758, 

 which again was the typical species of Risso's genus Conger, 1826. 

 In consequence Leptocephalus has taken the place of Conger as 

 the title of the genus, and many of the Leptocephalids which do 

 not belong to that genus, and cannot yet be definitely located, 

 are left unnamed. That there is a considerable number of these 

 larval forms that cannot be placed in Leptocephalus, but that 

 belong to various other genera not now determined with suflicient 

 accuracy, is evident enough from the figures and descriptions given 

 below. Rather than to assign them at random, it is here proposed 

 to form a group for these and similar unplaced larva?, Atopichthys, 

 in which they may remain until such time as by means of larger 

 collections the adult forms and their respective generic affinities 

 may be determined."* 



As this is perhaps the first occasion on which the name Atop- 

 ichthys has been used since characterised, I have reprinted Carman's 

 remai'ks in full. 



In January last the Trustees received from the island a very 

 fine larva, collected by Miss Nicholls. I do not propose to name 

 this form, and will merely indicate some of its leading features : — 



Body elongate, narrow and slender; greatest depth behind the 

 middle, one-fifteenth of the entire length. Head more than twice 

 as long as high, 13-3 in the total length. Snout pointed, nearly 

 one-fourth of the head. Eyes lateral, 7 "5 in the head, situated 

 in its anterior half. Mouth large, reaching to below the middle 

 of the eye. Upper jaw the longer. Teeth small, inclined back- 

 wards. Gill-opening narrower than the eye, extending below the 

 base of the pectoral. About one hundred and fifty muscle bands. 



* Garman — Loc. cit., p. 325. 



