Mr.(ii;ni. 



431 



margin, lio\\p\('r, nt the (li\ isioii licT\\c<'ii the <i|)crciiliiiii 

 and subopevciiliiiu, this ai'ch is (listiiictlx iiotclicd. The 

 l)raiichiosteg;il uicniI)r;iiH's nve antcrini'h (iiif'<'i'ii)rl\) 

 uiiiti'd into M l)road, transverse fold, which tits into 

 the bend of tiie nrohyoid l)one, and extends to the 

 l)ottoni of tiiis hend. This transverse fold is nuirkcd 

 oft" 1)\' a dcej) fold ironi the lateral parts of the bran- 

 chiostegal membranes, and contains only the foremost 

 (lowest) pair of rays, which, as in the preceding genus, 

 are exteriorly (distally) coalesccnt. The other six rays 

 on each side are tine, long, and sabre-shaped, the two 

 anterior, as weW as the three posterior, ]\ing (dose to 

 eaeli other. 



The dorsal fin begins on the blind side of the 

 head, close to and just above the anterior nostril, the 

 first interspinal bone being situated nt the u])per margin 

 of the nasal cavitv. The length of the tin measures 

 77 or 78 %, and its heiglit (the longest rav) 9 or 10 %, 

 of the length of the body. It terminates exactly at 

 the dorsal edge, and sometimes almost touches the 

 uppermost supporting ray of the caudal tin, though it 

 is sometimes separated from the latter by t^\■o or three 

 scales" breadth. It is of fairlv uniform height, the 

 anterior rays growing uniforndy and gradually longer, 

 and the posterior shorter. The anal fin resembles the 

 dorsal in shape, is of almost the same height, and its 

 length is about 59 — 63 ?6 of that of the l)ody. The 

 distance between it and the tip of the snout is 2-i or 

 '25 % of the length of the bod\-, and it terminates 

 l)osteriorly in the same manner as the dorsal fin. The 

 caudal fin, the length of which is about 16 — 18 %" of 

 that of the bodv, is evetd\' rounded at the hind margin 

 or somewhat pointed in the middle, and is made up 

 of 11 branched rays, and 3 supporting rays above and 

 below''. The pectoral fins are narrow and pointed. In 

 the pectoral tin of the eve side, the length of which 

 is about 13 — 16 % of that of the body, the third ray 

 is the longest. The length of the pectoral hu of the 

 blind side is onl\- 8 or 9 % of that of the body. The 

 ventral fins are especialh remarkable for their great 

 different'e from each other, the base of the one (on 

 the eve side) beina' more than twice as lonii^ as that 



of the other', and extending from the anterior end of 

 the lower extremity of the urohyoid bone to the !>(■- 

 ginning of tlu' anal lin. In height, however (the lengtli 

 of the longest — the 4th or 5th — I'ay'') they are 

 more alike. Between their posterior rays and the 

 membranes that unite these rays to the belly, the 

 preanal spines of the peh ic liones appear, the one (that 

 of the eye side) just in front of and close to the other. 

 The vent lies on the blind side, either just at the end 

 of the ventral tin of this side, where the posterior fin- 

 mend)rane terminates, or within (below) the end of 

 this ni( inlirane, and in a line w ith the first ray of the 

 anal tin. Exactly opposite, on the eye side, lies the 

 small, but distinct urethral papilla. 



The coloured side of the body is described by 

 Malm iis "brownish clay-gra\ , with a row of puncti- 

 form, lilackish brown spots along the lateral line, and 

 a ro\\ of similar, smaller spots a little distance from 

 the liases of the dorsal and anal tins. These tins, as 

 well as the others, have blackisli dots and streaks on 

 the rays, the markings being most distinct in a line 

 with the dark spots on the body, and thus suggesting 

 that thev may perhaps be I'egarded as traces of e\an- 

 escent transverse bands on the a\ hole bod)-. The mem- 

 branes of the left pectoral fin are black between the 

 last thi-ee rays for Vs of their length, at the tips of 

 the ravs. Iris yellowish green and, with the exce])tioii 

 of the })art Ixjrdering on the pupil, spotted with grayish 

 brown. In tlie specimens preserved in spirits in the 

 Royal ^luseum the whole body is orange, with almost 

 invisible traces of the markings described by Mal.m. 

 excepting the spots on the dorsal and anal fins, but a 

 dark brown colour has left very distinct traces on 

 the tips of the ventral tins. As we have failed to 

 procure any fresh specimen, \\e have taken advantage 

 of Dr. A. II. Malm's kind permission, and borrowed 



I for this work the tigure coloured l)y Mr. Tiiorxam for 

 I)r. Malm:s father. 



I The Megrim can scarcely be considered rare on 



the Avest coast of Scandinavia, as it has often been met 

 with in Christiania Fjord. Gullmar Fjord and the island- 

 belt of Gothenburg. Collktt mentions 17 specimens 



" 15o — 18-5, accordiiia- lo our nieasureiiieiits; 1(V4 — 20-2, according to Ciii.i.Kns. 



*■ In tlie Royal Museum specimen, wliich is 98 rain, long, of tlie very nearly related species, Plalopltri/s tapeinomosa from Hong Kong, 

 there are only H branched rays in the caudal tin, but 4 siipiiorting r.-iys on each side. However, it is very comnnon among the Teleosts that 

 young specimens difEer in this respect from older ones. 



'■ The lengtli of the base of the former is about 7 or S \. of tlw latter about 3' ., \. of the length of tlie body. 



'' .\bout tj or 7 % of the lengtli of the bodv. 



