144 Memoir Sears Foundation for Marine Research 



Head long and low, flat above, its depth at middle of eye exceeding Its width at the 

 same place by diameter of pupil, 3.4 in SL. Snout very long, projecting more than 

 a third of its length beyond mandible, 2.7 in head. Eye moderately small, 5.4 in head, 

 its center notably nearer to tip of snout than to margin of opercle. Maxillary ex- 

 tending nearly to middle of eye, 2.15 in head (measured from tip of snout). 



Dorsal fin moderately high anteriorly, its longest anterior rays about as long as 

 snout and eye, its last ray filamentous, almost reaching vertical from origin of anal, its 

 origin about equidistant between tip of snout and caudal base. Caudal deeply forked, 

 the upper lobe apparently longer than the lower (somewhat damaged). Anal very small, 

 its last ray produced, extending nearly to base of caudal fulcra, its origin equidistant 

 between base of caudal and base of last dorsal ray, its base '}^.c^ in head. Pelvic not 

 much smaller than pectoral, inserted about under middle of dorsal. Pectoral not fal- 

 cate, extending halfway to pelvic, 1.9 in head. Axillary scale of pectoral adherent to 

 body, not very distinct. 



Color. An old preserved specimen, slightly bluish above, silvery below, narrow 

 dark streaks between rows of scales on upper part of side. Live specimens from the Paci- 

 fic were described by Beebe (4: 44) as follows: 



Brilliant silver, appearing dark above in certain lights with dark green on the head; this dorsal pig- 

 mentation resolves into eight very dark lines along each side of upper half of the body, covering about 

 one-fourth of each scale nearest to the adjoining line. Dorsal fin greenish, caudal dusky, anal silvery at base, 

 a dusky spot at pectoral base, with yellow spot behind; basal membrane of pectoral apple green, rest of fin 

 dusky. These colors fade at death. Iris silvery. 



In the young, at least up to 90 mm in length, two rows of dark spots extend along the side of body, 

 the upper close to the mid-back. In a 115 mm fish the spots are less conspicuous and the dorsal dark lines 

 begin to be distinct. The spots persist after death. In fuU-grown fish the dark scale lines are fainter than in 

 fish of medium size. 



Relationship. The specimen at hand from the Pacific agrees very well with two 

 published accounts of Atlantic fish. Some Pacific coast specimens have been described 

 as D.pacifica by Beebe {4: 43), who considered them specifically distinct from the 

 Atlantic ones. On the basis of available descriptions (not specimens) of Atlantic fish, 

 the differences between his Pacific specimens and those from the Atlantic were set forth 

 as follows: 



In the former {D.pacifica) there is a greater number of lateral line scales (81 to 84, as compared 

 with 76); increased number of vertical lines of scales on dorsal half (9 not 7) and on ventral half (9 not 7); 

 decrease in predorsal scales (22 instead of 30); small eye (6.8 to 7, not 4.15); longer pelvic fins (2.2 and 

 not 2.7); greater number of giU-rakers (7 + 1 1 instead of 4 + 9). 



Most of the apparent distinctions between the Atlantic and Pacific specimens 

 pointed out by Beebe become obscure or are of doubtful value in the light of measure- 

 ments and enumerations based on the Acapulco fish. The number of scales in a longi- 

 tudinal series seems to differ on the opposite sides of this fish; on the right side I counted 

 76 scales with pores (excluding greatly reduced ones on caudal base) and 79 on the left. 



