406 BULLETIN" 100, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



9. GADOMUS MULTIFILIS (Gunther). 



Bathygadus multifilis Gunther, Report on the Deep-Sea Fishes, Challenger 

 Expedition, 1887, p. 155, pi. 42, fig. B (near Philippine Islands). 



Gadomus species Gilbert and Hubbs, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mns., vol. 51, 1916, 

 p. 153 (Japan). 



IBathygadus longifllis Alcock, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 6, vol. 6, 1890, p. 

 302, and ser. 6, vol. 8, 1S91, p. 123; Desc. Cat. Indian Deep-Sea Fishes, 

 1899, p. 120 (Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal). — Chun, Aus den Tiefen 

 des Weltrneeres, 1900, p. 004, fig. East Coast of Africa). — Brauer, Die 

 Tiefsee-Fische, 1906, p. 270, pi. 12, fig. 7. 



A Ibatross 

 station. 



Locality. 



Depth Bottom 

 in I tempera- 

 fathoms, ture. 



5467. 

 5582. 

 5607. 



Lagonoy Gulf, east coast of Luzon. 



Vicinity of Darvel Bay, Borneo 



Gulf of Tomini, Celebes 



4S0 

 890 

 671 



F. 

 ' 38.' 3 



We refer with some doubt the three specimens with the above data 

 to Giinther's species. The only character given in his original de- 

 scription accurately serving to distinguish between the species at 

 hand and G. introniger is the distance between the anus and the base 

 of the ventral. Our three specimens agree with Giinther's descrip- 

 tion in that character, the distance being half as long as the head, 

 while it is two-thirds as long as the head in G. introniger. One dif- 

 ficulty is that Giinther's figure does not agree with his description in 

 this regard. Assuming, then, that this species is G. multifilis, we 

 find that Alcock, Brauer, and other European naturalists err in 

 identifying it with G. longifilis — a species differing in the more nu- 

 merous gill-rakers (30 to 35 instead of 26 on lower limb of outer arch) ; 

 in the narrow band of premaxillary teeth, which is contained 4.8 

 instead of 3.0 to 3.8 times in the least bony suborbital width ; in the 

 much narrower interorbital ; and in certain details brought out in 

 the following table of measurements, which includes one of the types 

 of the Atlantic species. G. longifilis should no longer be confused 

 with distinct species inhabiting distant seas. 



From the Hawaiian species (G. melanopterus) , G. multifilis is less 

 readily distinguished, and it is possible that the two species are 

 identical. There are nine ventral rays in the type of G. melanopterus 

 and but eight in G. multifilis. The scapular foramen in G. melan- 

 opterus was described as being " wholly within the hypercoracoid," 

 while in G. multifilis it is on the suture between the hypercoracoid 

 and the hypocoracoid. 



A brief description of our three specimens (61 to 72 mm. long to 

 anus) is appended: 



The head is soft and spongy, due to the spaciousness of the sensory 

 canals, which appear to be more highly developed than in any other 



