KISIIK.S AND CRUSTACEANS— MCCULLOCH. ."547 



directed backwards. Eye very large, its up})er inarifin just cutting 

 the profile of the head. Maxillary extending to beneath the front 

 margin of the pupil. Teeth in villifonn bands in both jaws, the 

 outer series being slightly eidarged. Angle of the preoperele not 

 produced, its posterior margin directed upwards and backwards. 

 Barbel rather longer than half the diameter of the eye. 



Body compressed, very deep, its greatest deptli being at the 

 origin of the first dorsal and greater than the length of tlie head. 

 The dorsal profile ascends rapidly to the first dorsal spine, whence 

 it drops abruptly so that the fin is attached to the posterior slope 

 of a prominent hump. The ventral profile ascends rapidly back- 

 ward from the origin of the anal ; the tail is therefore abruptly 

 narrower than the trunk, but tapers uniformly to its tip. Scales 

 small, armed with seven or eight rows of slender spines which 

 overlap the edge ; about sixteen in a transverse series between the 

 origin of the first dorsal and the latei-al line. Whole head scaly. 

 Lateral line strongly arched over the pectoi'al fin. 



Second dorsal spine serrate along its entire length, its tip fine 

 and riexible, and rather longer than the depth of the bod}^; posterior 

 rays very small. Origin of tlie second dorsal separated from the 

 first by a space longer than the base of tlie first. Anal originating 

 below the second dorsal spine. Pectorals slender, 1 -3 in the head, 

 situated far in advance of the dorsal and a little behind the 

 ventrals. Outer ventral ray produced, reaching beyond the 

 origin of the anal. Vent placed midway between the origin of 

 the ventrals and the anal. 



Colour greyish, abdomen and posterior part of the head black. 

 A large round black spot on the first dorsal fin. Ventrals black. 



The differences between the young specimen and the adult lie in 

 its having a larger eye, about two in the head, fewer teeth on the 

 second dorsal spine and longer anal rays. 



This sjiecies is nearest allied to M. (/ih/ifi; Gilb. and Cium., but 

 is distinguished by its larger eye and shorter snout. From J/. 

 ncteues, Gilb. and Cram, and M. hlrundo Coll., which it also re- 

 sembles, it differs in the fin formuhe and the scales. It would 

 enter the genus Xezuuiia, Jordan' which is sepai'ated from 

 Macrourus by having an increased number of ventral rays, " 13 

 to 15 instead of 7 to 10, as in all other Jfdrruurldo',' but as Jf. 

 (jibhi'ihixs, 1 2-1 3, and M.setniqi(i)icnnciatus, Ale, Jf.jmmiliceps, Ale, 

 and M. pofi/lepif<, Ale, have 11-12, Xeziunia is not here adopted. 

 The.se species show the one to pass into the other by complete and 

 gradual transition. 



1 Jordan— U. S. Fish. Comiii. Eull., xxii., 1<)01-. p. 620. 



