ON THP: RELAXrONSHlPS OF TflE LUTIANOID FISH, 

 ArHAREUS FURCATUS. 



By David Starr Jordan and Edwin Chapin Starks, 



Ofilir Leland Stanford Junior University. 



A single specimen of the rare Lutianoid lish, AplKirois fii t'catusi, 23 

 inches in length, was obtained by Dr. Kakichi Mitsukuri at Odawara, 

 on Sagaiiii Bay, in Japan. It was presented to the Museum of Stan- 

 ford University by the Imperial University, with the la]>el '"Unknown 

 fish from Odawara." 



The specimen differs from the published descriptions in having the 

 jaws absolutely toothless, but the specimens from which the descrip- 

 tions were taken were small, and the teeth are doubtless deciduous. 



APHAREUS FURCATUS. 



(Plate XXVIII. ) 



Head 3| in length; depth 3f. Dorsal X, 11; Anal III, 8. Scales 

 9, 72, 15. Eye 5i in head; snout 2f ; maxillary 1^^. 



Body moderately- elongate and compressed, tapering to a rather long 

 caudal peduncle. Head large, slightly concave above ej^e; snout 

 pointed. Lower jaw produced, its end squarish with the lower angle 

 anterior to upper. Mouth large, somewhat ol)lique. Edges of jaws 

 very slightly roughened anteriorly, but no teeth are present. Vomer 

 and palatines toothless. Maxillaries scarcely protractile; upper edge 

 covered by preorl)ital nearly to posterior end. Nostrils close together, 

 placed about half an eye's diameter anterior to eye. Longest gill- 

 rakers about equal to diameter of eye. Their numl)er is 17+34. 



Top of head, suborl)ital ring, preorbital maxillaries, lower jaw 

 naked. Preopercle, upper part of clavicle, exposed portion of supra- 

 clavicle, and a Y-shaped tract at temporal region following supratem- 

 poral sensory canals naked. Scales all cycloid. Opercles and suboper- 

 cles entirel}' scaled and cheeks with about seven rows of scales; a patch 

 of scales at temporal region; scales of back extending forward to 

 occiput. Lateral line concurrent with dorsal outline. No scales on 

 fins, except a few on base of pectoral and much crowded rows covering 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXIII— No. 1232. 



719 



