FISHES OP THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND ADJACENT SEAS 121 



23326. Simaluc Island, north of Tawi Tawi. September 22, 1909. Length 42 



mm. 

 24018. Tutu Bay, Jolo Island. September 19, 1909. Length 54 mm. 

 One example. Tomahu Island, vicinity Bouro Island. December 11, 1909. 



Length 32 mm. 



Genus HYNNODUS Gilbert 



Hynnodus Gilbert, Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., vol. 23, pt. 2, 1903 (1905), p. 



617. Type Hynnodus atherinoides Gilbert, monotypic. 

 Scepterias Jordan and Jordan, Mem. Carnegie Mus., vol. 10, No. 1, 



December, 1922, p, 44. T} r pe Scepterias fragilis Jordan and Jordan, 



orthotypic. 

 Parahynnodus Barnard, Ann. South Afric. Mus., vol. 21, 1927, p. 525. 



Type Parahynnodus robusius Barnard, monotypic. 



Body very elongate, slender. Caudal peduncle long. Head large, 

 robust, wider than deep. Eyes very large, over 3>6 of head. Mouth 

 terminal. Minute teeth in jaws, subequal on vomer and palatines. 

 Opercle with single spine. Pseudobranchiae very large. Gills 4, 

 slit behind fourth arch. Gill rakers 14 to 16 on lower branch of first 

 arch. Branchiostegals, 7. Scales 48 or 49 in lateral line to caudal 

 base, very deciduous. Tubes in lateral line enlarged, each scale per- 

 forated by canal opening on outer surface beneath an antero-posterior 

 bridge, on dorsal and ventral side of which wide external pores. 

 Two wide set low dorsals, first of 6 or 7 spines, second of spine and 

 10 rays. Anal with 2 spines and 7 to 9 rays. Caudal forked. 



We find nothing in the account of Scepterias to distinguish it from 

 Hynnodus and its genotype was smaller (116 mm.) than most of our 

 materials. Parahynnodus is certainly very close to this genus and 

 we think probably synonymous. It is said to differ in the absence 

 of teeth and the pores of the lateral line simple, hardly characters 

 for generic distinction. 



HYNNODUS ATHERINOIDES Gilbert 



Hynnodus atherinoides Gilbert, Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., vol. 23, pt. 2, 1903 

 (1905), p. 618, pi. 79. Pailolo Channel, Hawaii, in 284 to 290 fathoms — 

 Fowler, Mem. Bishop Mus., vol. 10, 1928, p. 165 (Lahaina, Maui). 



Hynnodus megalops Smith and Radcliffe, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol 41, 

 1912, p. 445, pi. 38, fig. 3. Between Burias and Luzon and north Min- 

 danao, Philippines (N. Lat. 12° 51' 30", E. Long. 123° 26' 15", in 226 

 fathoms). 



Scepterias fragilis Jordan and Jordan, Mem. Carnegie Mus., vol. 10, No. 1, 

 December, 1922, p. 45, pi. 2, fig. 2. Honolulu. 



Depth by 2 to 634; bead 2^ to 2% , width \y A to V/ 8 . Snout 4}i 

 to 4% in head from snout tip; eye 2% to 2%, orbital socket 2% to 

 234; eye more than twice snout, about twice bony interorbital and 

 much greater than space as seen between orbital sockets from head 

 below; maxillary extends opposite first, fourth, or fifth of orbital 

 socket, narrow, length 2% in head; very narrow band of minute 

 simple curved teeth in each jaw, also similar teeth in single row on 



