DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AXD THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 



223 



LAMPRIS, Retzius. 



Lampris, Retzius, Nya Hanaiimg, iii, 1799, 91.— Cuvif.r, Regno Animal, 1st ed., 1817, 32.5.— GixTiiER 



Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., ii, p. 415.— Jordan and Gilbert, Bull, xvi, U. S. Nat. Mus., 453. 

 Chrysoiosiis, hACEvkvii, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iv, 586. 



Body compressed and elevated, covered with very small deciduous, cycloid scales. 

 Mouth narrow, termiual, with no teeth. Dorsal single, very long, elevated, falcate, without 

 distinct spines; anal long, low, not falcate, both fins depressed in a groove. V'eutrals 

 behind pectorals (14 to 17 rays), pectorals large, falcate; caudal flu moderately forked. 

 Lateral line preseut, much arched iu front. Branchiostegals, 6. Gill membranes free from 

 the isthmus. CEsophagus not armed with .spinous teeth. Air bladder large, bifurcate 

 behind. Pyloric appendages very numerous. Vertebra? 4.5. 



LAMPRIS REGIUS, (Bonnaterre), Rktz. 



Zeus regius, BoNNATERRE, IcLtbyologie, 1788, p. 72, pi. xxxix, fig. 155. 



Zeus guitatus, Brunstich, Dansk. Selsk. Skr., in, 1788, 398. 



Zeus hina, Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1788, 1225. 



Lnmpris luna, GuNTHER, op. cit., ii, 416. — Cuv. and Val., np. cU., x, 39. 



Lampris lattta, Lowi;, Fish. Madeira, 27. 



L.4MPEilS KEORIS. 



Longest dorsal ray shorter than pectorals, which are nearly as long as the head. Anal 

 very low in fi-ont, a little higher behind. Head, 3^; depth, 1^. 



Eadial formula: D. 54; A. 40; Y. 14-17; Vert, 23+22; L. 3-4 feet. 



Coloi", a rich brocade of silver and lilac, rosy on the belly; everywhere with round 

 silvery spots; head, opercles, and back with ultramarine tints, jaws and tins vermilliou; 

 flesh red. 



This form, exceedingly rare in the Mediterranean, has occasionally duringthe last century 

 been found along the coasts of Europe as far north as Norway, also about Madeira and 

 Iceland; it had been reported from off Newfoundland, Nova Scotia (?), and Maine; no 

 specimen from the Atlantic had been in the posses.siou of any American museum, v lieu a 

 specimen was taken by schooner Mildred V. Lee, Capt. William T. Lee, olf Le Have ridges, 

 between 62° and 03° Ion. W., 42° and 49° lat. N. 



A specimen from Japan in the U. S. National Mu.seum is apparently of the same 

 species. We are not aware that this has hitherto been recorded from tlie Pacitic. There 

 is every reason to believe that the fish is at times an inhabitant of considerable depths. 



