FAMILY BROTULIDAE — SCHULTZ 383 



Subfamily Brotulinae 



Genus BROTULA Cuvier 



Brotula Cuvier, R^gne animal, ed. 2, vol. 2, p. 335, 1829 (type species, Enchelyopus 

 barbatus Bloch and Schneider). 



Gosline (Copeia No. 4, pp. 215-218, figs, la-b, 1953) has shown for 

 the central tropical Pacific that two species of shallow water brotulids 

 must be referred to the genus Brotula. These may be distinguished 

 by the following key, modified after Gosline: 



la. Anal rays 100 to 111; dorsal rays 121 to 145; eye diameter equal to or greater 

 than width of fleshy interorbital; median fins with a narrow white border, 

 blackish submarginally; lips dark, chin white except dark tip; plate 

 121, D B. multibarbata " Temminck and Schlegel 



16 Anal rays 71 to 84; dorsal rays 100 to 105; eye diameter less than width of 

 fleshy interorbital; median fins greenish brown basally, with a broad 

 orange border when alive; lips and chin greenish brown. 



B. townsendi Fowler 



BROTULA TOWNSENDI Fowler 



Brotula townsendi Fowler, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1900, p. 518, pi. 20, 

 fig. 3, 1901 (type locality. Sandwich Islands). 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



Bikini Atoll: 1 station, 1 specimen, 168 mm. in standard length. 

 Arno Atoll: 1 lot, 1 specimen, 91 mm. collected by Dr. Strasburg. 



Description. — The following description is based on two specimens, 

 the one from Bikini Atoll and another, 104 mm., from Johnston Island. 

 Dorsal rays (each ray with separate base is counted as one ray) 103 

 and 105; anal 84 and 81; pectoral 25; scales 133; pelvics ii; branched 

 caudal rays 5 + 5 and 5+4. Greatest depth 4.3 to 5.0, head 4.1 to 

 4.2; length of pectoral fin 8.2; length of pelvic fin 5.5; length of caudal 

 fin 11.5 to 15; all in standard length. Eye 6.9 to 7.2; snout 4.0 to 

 4.5; pectoral fin 2.0 to 2.1; caudal fin 2.7 to 3.8. Greatest depth 1.1 

 to 1.2; interorbital space 5.1; length of mouth 1.8; all in the length 

 of the head. 



Head rounded; body compressed posteriorly; head a httle smaller 

 than body; a vertical line through dorsal origin passes just behind 

 pectoral base and one eye diameter behind head; anal origin a little 

 closer to tip of snout than base of caudal fin ; dorsal and anal fins com- 

 posed of soft rays only, continuous with caudal fin; pectoral fins 

 rounded; caudal rounded; scales cycloid, small, thin, extending on 

 basal half (or more) of dorsal, anal, caudal, and pectoral fins; pelvic 

 fins composed of two simple rays, inserted forward on isthmus, before 



" Brotula muUibarhata Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, pp. 251-253, pi. Ill, fig. 2, 1846 (type 

 locality. Simabara Bay, Japan). 



