648 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 112 



— Roxas, Philippine Jour. Sci., vol. 55, No. 3, p. 286, 1934 (on Giinther). 

 — Schultz (in part), Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., vol. 86, pp. 142-144, 1938 

 (Philippines and Celebes Sea). — Smith, The sea fishes of southern Africa, 

 p. 106, fig. 159, 1949 (Natal to the Cape). — Harvey, Bioluminescence, New 

 York, pp. 512, 540, 542, 1952 (light organs). — Koumans, Temminckia, 

 Lieden, vol. 9, p. 185, 1953 (lat. 8°39' S., 130°35' E.). 



Study material: The following specimens (all in USNM) were 

 examined: 



FloresSea: 103059(1). 

 Moluccas: 103058(2) and 135522(2). 



Philippine Islands: 103037(1), 103038(1), 103052(2), 103053(1), 135516(1), 

 135520(3), 177892(1), 177893(2), 177894(1). 



Description: Counts made are given in table 1, p. 591, and table 

 6, p. 636. 



Color: The color pattern is shown in figure 24, p. 633. 



Range: This species is known from the Philippines, Celebes Sea, 

 Flores Sea, Moluccas, East Indies, Andaman Islands, Bay of Bengal, 

 and off Natal to Cape of Good Hope at a depth of from 100 to 303 

 fathoms. 



Remarks: There has been much confusion concerning the actual 

 speciation and nomenclature of the Polyipnus spinosus complex 

 (Schultz, 1938; pp. 141-145: and Okada and Suzuki, Pacific Sci., 

 vol. 10, pp. 296-302, 1956). The latter authors have presented a 

 clear case that two distinct species of Polyipnus occur in Japanese 

 waters. These two species may be distinguished by one having 

 a more robust body behind dorsal fin and a deeper caudal peduncle, 

 more gill rakers, and more pectoral fin rays. This species is called 

 by them P. stereope, whereas the other is referred to as P. spinosus. 



In the U.S. National Museum I have studied this complex of 

 species again and now have a much larger series and more experience 

 to call on than in 1938. I find that Okada and Suzuki are correct 

 in that two species do occur in Japanese waters, but they have in- 

 correctly applied the nomenclature. A study of Giinther's drawing 

 ol the holotype of P. spinosus indicates a species with a robust caudal 

 peduncle and only 13 anal photophores. These two characters are 

 present in all specimens from the Philippines having a short post- 

 temporal spine like that illustrated for the type of P. spinosus by 

 the late J. R. Norman and sent to me in a letter dated April 15, 

 1937, and herein reproduced as figure 26b, p. 634. 



In studying the types of P. stereope Jordan and Starks, however, 

 I find they too have a robust body, robust caudal peduncle, and only 

 13 anal photophores, along with a relatively short posttemporal spine. 

 Thus, P. stereope and P. spinosus form a species complex and, by 

 means of data presented by Okada and Suzuki along with additional 

 data from specimens in the U.S. National Museum, I am able to 



