The teeth in both jaws are rasp-likOj and the palatine teeth are 

 vestigialo The branchiostegals are rather broad^ particularly the most 

 posterior, which are triangular in shapeo The pectoral girdle is 

 broad, and the surface for articulation with the projection of the 

 coracoid is twisted into a nearly horizontal position^ The centra of 

 the vertebrae are rather short and thicks and both the neural and haemal 

 spines are remarkably long, being arranged more or less in echelono 

 The neural spines of the abdominal vertebrae are broad and their anterior 

 edges are curved, but they do not differ conspicuously in form from those 

 of the caudal vertebrae. 



The dorsal surface is steel-blue with a blackish cast, and the 

 belly is white. In life there is a steely-blue slime, but the overall 

 coloration is close to a milky-whiteo There are no vertical stripes 

 on the sides of the bodyo The first dorsal fin and the first anal fin 

 are a beautiful cobalt color, but when exposed to the air for a long 

 time, they become dark blue. In many cases ^ there are a number of round 

 dark blue spots on the highest portion of the first dorsal fine. The 

 other fins are all dark blue in colore The flesh is of the so-called 

 "spearfish color", and is delicious when eaten raw„ Fish taken in 

 Japanese waters during the winter are said to b e somewhat inferior in 

 flavor^ 



This species occurs widely throughout the warm s eas of the 

 Pacific and Indian Oceans and the northern limit of its distribution 

 in Japanese v.'^aters is said to be off the Sanriku region (Northeastern 

 Honshu")Q This fish attains a body length of 3,500 millimeters and a 

 weight of 570 kilogramso 



Because the structure of the pectoral fins and the form of the 

 air bladder differ completely from all other species, this species has 

 been placed in a new genus, Jordan and Hill have recorded no comments 

 on the peculiar form of the pectoral fins, but in the photograph of 

 their type specimen this peculiarity is clearly apparent. 



Genus Eumakaira Nakamura 



The pectoral fins can be readily folded back against the sides of 

 the body. The body is remarkably stout and the degree of lateral com- 

 pression is slighto The lateral line is complex in form, dividing near 

 its anterior extremity, joining again approximately below the 10th ray 

 of the first dorsal fin, dividing again, joining at a point below the 

 15th to 17th dorsal rays, thereafter dividing again, and joining again 

 below the 30th to 33rd dorsal rayso Posterior to this point the line 

 runs straight, but it is extrem.ely obscure. The following single 

 species occurs in Japanese waters. 



64 



