FAMILY BROTULIDAE — SCHIJLTZ 389 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



Bikini Atoll: 23 stations, 353 specimens, 14 to 112 mm. in standard length. 



Eniwetok Atoll: 4 stations, 16 specimens, 31 to 62 mm. 



Rongerik Atoll: 4 stations, 23 specimens, 26 to 88 mm. 



Rongelap Atoll: 9 stations, 34 specimens, 25 to 90 mm. 



Kwajalein Atoll: 1 specimen, 46 mm. 



Guam: 1 lot, 1 specimen, 61 mm. 



Description. — Dorsal rays 75 to 88 and anal rays 59 to 69; pectoral 

 21 to 26; vertical scale rows from upper edge of gill opening to base of 

 caudal fin 107 to 109 (based on 4 counts each); pelvic rays ii; branched 

 caudal rays 7+7; gill rakers about 2 + 1+7 to 12. Greatest depth 

 3.9 to 4.3; head 3.6 to 3.8; length of pectoral fin 5.8 to 7.0; length of 

 pelvic fin 3.5 to 4.0; length of caudal fin 6.8 to 9.2; all in standard 

 length. Eye 9 to 11; snout 4.7 to 5.2; pectoral fin 1.8 to 2.0; caudal 

 fin 2.0 to 2.3; greatest depth 1.2 to 1.3; interorbital space 4.0 to 4.5; 

 length of mouth (snout tip to rear of maxillary) 1.9 to 2.1 ; all in length 

 of head. 



Head roundish, body posteriorly compressed, vertical line through 

 dorsal origin passes about 1^ or 2 eye diameters behind head, anal 

 origin about 2 eye diameters closer to snout tip than base of caudal 

 fin; dorsal and anal fins of soft rays only extending to base of caudal 

 fin; least depth of base of caudal fin or caudal peduncle about twice 

 in interorbital space; pectoral and caudal fins rounded; scales cycloid, 

 thin, extending on basal part of all fins except pelvics; pelvic fins of 

 two simple haulike rays inserted before pectoral bases; maxillary 

 sheathed anteriorly by fleshy cheek, posteriorly exposed; eye small, 

 without free margin; tip of chin and of lower lip finely papillate; tip 

 of snout and of upper lip papillate; front part of upper lip slippmg 

 under front margin of snout; small conical teeth in bands on pre- 

 maxillary, vomer, and palatmes; dentary with small conical teeth in 

 narrow band forward, becoming uniserial laterally; males with a spiny 

 copulatory organ. The male copulatory organ of this species was 

 described m detail by C. L. Tm-ner (Copeia, No. 2, pp. 92-96, pi. 1, 

 1946). 



Color in alcohol. — Plain tan to Ught brown or whitish. Peritoneum 



white. 



Color when alive. — Plain orange. 



Ecology. — This brotulid lives in the crevices of the reefs and is most 

 abundant along submerged ledges. 



Remarks. — I examined the holotypes of Fowler's two species from 

 the Ryukyu Islands and found them to be a male and a female of this 

 abundant species. Dermatopsis kasougae Smith may be this species, 

 too. 



