360 BULLETIN 189, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



a side, somewhat larger; a single row of well spaced similar teeth, about 

 as large as, or larger than those on the sides of the upper jaw and about 

 9 in number, in a curve across the vomer, and on each palatine. 



"Spinous dorsal weak and low, depressible in a deep slot; anal well 

 behind soft dorsal, its origin under hind rays of same; 6 finlets above 

 and 5 below, the first above scarcely separated from dorsal fin. Uni- 

 form small scales over body, their edges covered by smaller to minute 

 scales, and there are also numerous scattered round, dark pores; 

 peduncular keel well developed, wide with a rather thin edge, scaled 

 to the edge. 



"In preservative the color of head, back and fins is dusky, sides and 

 lower parts only relatively paler. In a photograph of the fish when 

 caught, the sides are paler. Centers of scales tend to be dark with 

 paler borders, suggesting stippling," (Nichols and La Monte, 1943, 

 p. 50.) 



The foregoing description was based on a specimen 1,220 mm. 

 (1,045 mm. to base of caudal) long taken by Michael Lerner 25 miles 

 off Cabo Blanco, in "over 100 fathoms." No specimens are included 

 in the collections studied. Nichols and La Monte say, "The fish is 

 familiar to the Peruvian fishermen, and its flesh is reputed to have the 

 same purgative quality for which that of Buvettus is well known." 



Range. — Australia, Japan, Hawaii, California, Peru, and probably 

 elsewhere. Usually living in rather deep water. 



Family TRICHIURIDAE: Hairtails; Cutlassfishes 



Body very elongate, strongly compressed, band-shaped, tail taper- 

 ing to a point; head long, rather low, pointed; mouth large; lower jaw 

 projecting; premaxillaries not protractile ; gill membranes separate, free 

 from the isthmus; gills 4, a slit behind the fourth; teeth in jaws 

 large, unequal; lateral line continuous; scales wanting; dorsal very 

 long, caudal fin wanting; anal composed of very short separate spines; 

 ventrals rudimentary or wanting; pectoral small. A single genus is 

 represented in the collections from Peru. 



Genus TRICHIURUS Linnaeus, 1758 



The absence of ventral fins characterizes the genus suflEiciently. 



TRICHIURUS NITENS Garman 



Trichiurus nitens Garman, 1899, p. 69, Albatross stations 3354 and 3389, near Tru- 

 jillo, Peru (original description; compared with T. Upturns of the Atlantic). — 

 Breder, 1936, p. 12, Baja California (compared with T. lepturus of the At- 

 lantic). — HuBBs and Hubbs, 1941, p. 29, San Pedro, Calif, (relationship of this 

 species and T. lepturus discussed). 



Trichiurus lepturus Meek and Hildebrand (in part not of Linnaeus), 1923, p. 328, 

 Panama, etc. (synonymy; description; comparison of specimens from Atlantic 

 and Pacific; range). 



Head in total length 8.0 to 8.1; depth 16.0 to 19.0; D. 121 to 126; 

 A. 96 to 100; P. 10 or 11. 



