PHILIPPINE MACROUROID FISHES GILBERT AND HUBBS. 535 



51. HYMENOCEPHALUS GRIMALDII Weber. 



Hymenocephalvs grimaldii Weber, Fische der /Sfifio^a-Expedition, 1913, 

 p. 169, pi. 1, fig. 1. 



This species seems to be a close ally of II. striatissimus, from which 

 it differs in several characters : the eye is smaller, less than one-third 

 length of head, and less than the interorbital width, which is wider, 

 being two-fifths length of the head; the barbel is absent; there are 

 only 10 pectoral rays. 



These measurements and counts are taken from Weber's work, 

 since the Albatross failed to obtain this species. 



52. HYMENOCEPHALUS NASCENS, new species. 



Hymenocephalus lethonemus Weber, Fische der Siftogra-Expedition, 1913, 

 p. 167 (not of Jordan and Gilbert). 



Type-specimen. — Cat. No. 78229, U.S.N.M., 143 mm. long to end 

 of pseudocaudal, 47 mm. to anus; dredged at Albatross station 5587: 

 depth, 415 fathoms; bottom temperature, 42.3° F. 



The large number of specimens of the lethonemus type in the col- 

 lection from the Philippine and East Indian Islands has made pos- 

 sible a very close comparison of them with typical II. lethonemus 

 from Japan. 1 A single difference has been disclosed; namely, an in- 

 creased average number of ventral rays. We regard nascens as a 

 species rather. than as a subspecies because there is no evidence at 

 hand of the intergradation of the two forms. The number of ventral 

 rays is summarized in the following table : 



Number of ventral rays in Hymenocephalus lethonemus from Japan and in H. 

 nascens fr&m the Philippine and East Indian Islaiuls. 



The type-specimens of H. lethonemus also have 11 ventral rays; 

 Weber gives 12 or 13 as the number of rays in the specimen of 

 nascens which he referred to lethonemus. Most of the 9 fins of nas- 

 cens with 11 rays are paired by a ventral with 12 rays. 



Jordan and Gilbert, Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., 1902 (1904), p. 615, text figure; Gilbert 

 and Hubbs, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 51 1«16, p. 188. 



