PROCEEDINGS OF THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



issued iMl5(\ji s)"Si hy the 



SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM 

 Vol. 84 Washington: 1937 No. 3007 



NOTES ON PHALLOSTEITHID FISHES 



By George S. Myers 

 Stanford University, California 



Various notes on the remarkable little fishes of the Malayan family 

 Phallostethidae accumulated while I was in charge of the division of 

 fishes of the United States National Museum, and it seems oppor- 

 tune to publish them at this time. Most of the material reported on 

 is in the National Museum. 



In a recent paper (Myers, 1935, p. 6) I erected a new suborder, 

 Phallostethoidea, for this family, which I placed next to the Mugilo- 

 idea and the Poljniemoidea in the Percesoces. The recent work of 

 Bailey (1936) appears to uphold my conclusion that the Phalloste- 

 thidae are not cyprinodonts. The follow^ing synopsis of the genera, 

 based largely on the priapium of the male, will replace that given in 

 my 1928 paper : 



SYNOPSIS OF THE GENEEA OF PHALLOSTETHIDAE 



a\ Toxactinium present, a sbieldlike pulvinulus covering its base. 

 6\ Anal fin very long, of 20 to 28 rays ; the single ctenactinium 



serrated ; jaws equal or lower slightly included ; first dorsal 



not described; abdomen of female with a groove- -Phallostethus Regan 

 b^ Anal fin moderate, of 14 or 15 rays ; the single ctenactinium 



not serrated ; lower jaw projecting ; first dorsal of one ray ; 



abdomen of female without groove Phenacostethus Myers 



92759—36 



137 



