178 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



15. COELORHYNCHUS JAPONICUS (Temminck and Schlegel). 



Macrurns japonicus Temmincic and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, 1846, p. 

 256, pi. 112, fig. 2. — GiJNTHEE, Challenger Reports, vol. 22, Deep-Sea 

 Fishes, 1887, p. 127, pi. 29, fig. O. — Steindachner and Doderlein, 

 Fische Japans, vol. 4, 1887, p. 283. 



Coelorhynchus japonicus Jordan and Gilbert, Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., 1902 

 (1904), p. 617.— Franz, Abh. math.-phys. kl. K Bayer. Al^ad. der Wis- 

 sensch., vol. 4, Suppl. Bd. 1, 1910, p. 26. — Jordan and Thompson, Mem. 

 Carnegie Mus., vol. 6, pt. 4, 1914, p. 306. 



Scales with 3 to 5 strongly divergent spinous ridges; 6 or 7 scales 

 from origin of second dorsal to the lateral line; those on ridges of 

 head moderately strengthened; the median rostral ridge extends to 

 opposite the anterior margins of orbits, and bears a series of about 12 

 subquadrate scales with 1 to 8 spinous ridges, which radiate from a 

 point near the anterior margin of the scale ; the occipital and postor- 

 bital ridges bear a series of narrow scales with one or two ridges 

 armed with a few conic spines; a similar scale forms the occipital 

 scute ; the ridge on the upper orbital margin bears a series of scales 

 with conic spines along several divergent ridges; the ridge on the pos- 

 terior half of the upper margin of the nasal fossa bears four scales 

 which become smaller and narrower anteriorly ; the scales in a series 

 midway between the occipital and po.storbital ridges are similar to 

 the scales of the body, but larger; those on the next series below, and 

 those on the opercles, are similar to those on the body; a patch of 

 small scales, with a single crest, on the upper end of the preopercle; 

 the tip of the snout is covered with a modified triangular scale, with 

 suberect spinules; scales elsewhere on the head are mostly with a 

 single ridge armed with sharp spinules. Posterior half of nasal 

 fossa, and the gular and branchiostegal membranes are naked. 



Lateral margins of snout but slightly convex, the dorsal contour 

 concave. 



Fifty pyloric caeca, shorter than the orbit, were counted in one 

 specimen. 



The young, as usual in the genus, have a shorter, broader snout, 

 larger eye, and other differences brought out in the following table : 



