MARINE SILVER BATCHETFISHES SCHULTZ 62] 



palatines; the dorsal blade is reduced in i Ins genus to five oj six do; -a I 

 pterygiophores, the last one, just in front of dorsal fin base, projects 

 as a paired spine. These pterygiophores are not fused into a pro- 

 jecting plate in t his genus. 



'The various species of Polyipnus ma\ be distinguished on the basis 

 of counts of fin rays, gill rakers, and vertebrae and distribution and 

 local ion of gioups of pliol op I lores. Especially import ant are 1 lie posl - 

 temporal and preopercular spines, which have unique shapes and 

 lengths for nearly every species in the genus. 



Counts made for available species of Polyipnus are given in table l . 

 p. 591, and table 6, p. 636; measurements made are given In table 

 7, p. 638. An examination of the frequency distributions of the 

 various counts indicate significant differences in numbers of vert ebrae, 

 gill rakers, and (in rays. 



Four new species of Polyipnus are described as a result of borrow- 

 ing specimens, one each from the Eastern Atlantic and Indian Oceans 

 and two from Japan. By means of the key below, all known species 

 of Polyipnus may be distinguished. 



A. Fraser-Brunner (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. 8, ser. LO, p. 218, 

 1931 ) recorded Polyipnus laternatUS from the Atlantic, but he was not 

 able to locate the three specimens on which he based his identifica- 

 tion. They are probably actually /'. polli (see p. 635). 



Key to the Species of I'olvipnus 



La. Ai anterior end of anal series of photophores occur three supraanal photo- 

 phores located much above genera] line of anal organs; minute teeth 

 present on vomer and palatines; posttemporal spine simple, si th, and 



shorter t han diameter of pupil. 



2a. Anal photophores 6 or 7: total dorsal rays !•">. (Eastern Atlantic 



Ocean.) polli, new species 



2b. Anal photophores 8 to 13. 



3a. Anal photophores LO to L 3, rarely LO; posttemporal spine equal in length 

 to width of Lasl 1 to 7 anal photophores. (Western Atlantic 



Ocean.) laternatus Garman 



3b. Anal photophores 8 to LO. 



la. (iill rakers on lower part of first arch '.I to r_', and total raker- I I to 



L9; anal photophores 8 or ( .»: dorsal ray- 11 or 12; anal rays 17 to 

 L9. (Philippine fslands in the Pacific Ocean, triphanos Schultz 



11». (dll rakers total L9 to '-'1. 



5a. Dorsal rays II to L7; a broad wedge-shaped dark bar an terodorsally 



on bodj does not reach vent rally to midlengl h\\ ise axis of bodj : 



no white War behind dark liar, i Western Atlantic < >cean and the 



Gulf of Mexico.) asteroides Schultz 



5b. 1 >orsal raj - 1 2or L3;a narrow wedge-shaped dark bar anterodorsally 

 on body (behind head) that reaches to midlengthwise axis 

 of body; a narrow white bar behind dark bar thai reaches to 

 middorsal line. (Japan, in the Western Pacific Ocean.) 



matsubarai, new species 



