roUOBRONCHUS. ] 45 



STOMIASUNCULUS. 



Stomiasunculus barbatus, Kaup, Ami. t<,- Mac/. Nat. Hist. 1800, vi. 

 p. 270, pi. ;5. fio-. C. 



This is evidently the young of Stomias or of a fish very closely 

 allied to it. The specimen in the British Museum is in a bad state, 

 but traces of the peculiar scale-pouches oi Stomias maybe distinctly 

 sceu. The barbel (with the hyoid) is more advanced towards the 

 symphysis than in the adult figui'ed by Valenciennes, pi. 545 ; the 

 relative position of this barbel changes with the position of the bone, 

 which is moveable. There are really no ventral fins ; and future obser- 

 vations must show whether their absence is a character of the young 

 state, or whether it is indicative of the existence of a species hitherto 

 unknown. These fins are very small in Stomias /larbatns. I cannot 

 agree with Mr. Gill, who compares this fish to a larval Clupeoid. 

 rt. One of the typical specimens. Messina. From Dr. Kaup. 



ESUNCULUS. 



Esuuculus costal, Kaup, Apod. p. 14o, fig. 3. 

 Even if a family of Leptocephalidse be admitted into the system, 

 to take its place near the apodal Physostomi, the fish described by 

 Dr. Kaup under the name of Esuncuhis could not be referred to 

 it, being possessed of abdominal ventral and three distinct vei-tieal 

 fins, of which the dorsal is neai'ly opposite to the anal. This fi.sh 

 is clearly the young of a form belonging to one of the more highly 

 organized Physostomous families, perhaps of Alepocephalus. 



POROBRONCHUS. 



Ilelminthostoma delle Chiaje, i'occo. 



Porobronchus linearis, Kaup, Ann. Sf Mag. Nat. Hist. 18G0, vi. p. 272, 

 pi. .3. fig. D. 

 This is the name given by Dr. Kaup to young Fierasfer aai.<i. lie 

 figures an example without pectoral fins, which is in the British 

 Museum, and in which, indeed, these fins cannot be discovered. 

 They appear to have been torn off during the examination of the 

 specimen. Other examples whicli I have obtained have the pectoral 

 tins well developed. The first dorsal ray, which is sometimes as long 

 as one-half of the fish, disappears entirely with age. From notes 

 made by me many years ago, I. see that these fishes have been named 

 " Ilelminthostonia delle Chiaje, Cocco,'' but I am unable to find a 

 reference to this name in a published work. 



A fish known from a drawing by Dr. Hooker, and named Pnjm- 

 )iofhonu.<i Jwnl-eri bj- Richardson (Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Fish. p. 51, 

 pi. 30. figs. () ife 7), appear.s to belong to the Murrcnidas. The speci- 

 men was l.| inch long. Habitat not recorded. I reproduce the 

 drawing in order to draw attention to this remarkable form. 



