492 BULLETIN 10 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Chimaera purpurascens (Gilbert) Jordan and Snyder, Smithsonian Misc. Coll., 

 vol. 45, p. 235, 1904 (name and reference only). — Gakman, Mem. Mus. Comp. 

 Zool., vol. 40, No. 3, p. 86, 1911 (part). 



Depth 2 to 2% to vent ; head 1% to 21/3, width 1% ? to 2. Snout 

 2% to 3 in head ; eye 2% to 3, subequal with snout, much greater than 

 interorbital ; mouth very slightly before front eye edge; upper dental 

 plates with parallel vertical ridges ; interorbital 5 to 6, convex. Gill 

 opening low, apparently not extending upward beyond pectoral 

 origin. 



Skin smooth. Lateral line very finely and rather evenly waved 

 in its course over paired fins, less so posteriorly. 



Dorsal spine ly^ in head, with few low antrorse serrae along each 

 hind edge terminally, 2% to 3^4 in length of soft dorsal ; caudal fila- 

 raent I14 in rest of body ; anal small, low, distinct from caudal ; pec- 

 toral large, reaches about opposite middle of depressed ventral, longer 

 than head or 1% in head and body to vent ; ventral 3. 



Brown generally, paler to grayish below. Fins all more or less 

 dusky to blackish brown. Under surface of head and belly whitish. 

 Iris grayish. 



Japan, Korea. The following, all very poorly preserved, the 

 muscles soft and easily falling apart, therefore the above description 

 imperfect. All seem to belong to the present species, which not pre- 

 viously reported from the Philippines. 



According to Dean the females reach 1,000 mm. or more, the males 

 850 mm. They are usually sluggish in their movements when kept in 

 shallow water. They swim about slowly, but oftener remain in the 

 same position, merely balancing, moving their pectorals up and down, 

 in slow rhythm. In confinement, as when in shallow water in large 

 floating fish baskets, they rarely live longer than the second day. 

 At their accustomed depth, judging from their behavior when freshly 

 caught, Dean was convinced they are normally far stronger and more 

 alert than he had been led to believe. 



6680. D. 5297. Matocot Point, S. 50° E., 5.10 miles (lat. 13°41'20" N., long. 



120°58' E.). China Sea, vicinity southern Luzon. July 24, 1908. Length 



292 mm. 

 6672. D. 5296. Matocot Point, S. 63° E., 4.50 miles (lat. 13°40'09" N., longt 



120°57'45" E.). July 24, 1908. Length, 330 mm. to end of broken caudal. 

 10027. D. 5298. Matocot Point, S. 38° E., 6.70 miles (lat. 13°43'25" N., long. 



120°57'40" E.). July 24, 1908. Length, 203 mm. 

 3100. D. 5516. Point Tagolo Light, Mindanao, S. 80° W., 9.7 miles (lat. 8°46' 



N., long. 123°32'30" E.). August 9, 1909. Length, 331 mm. 

 D. 5550. Jolo Light, Jolo, N. 83' E. 15.5 miles (lat. 6°02'00" N., long. 



120°44'40" E.). September 17, 1909. Larva, 75 mm. long, tail long and 



filamentous. 



