150 " ENDEAVOUR " SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



Family GEMPYLID^. 

 Genus Jordanidia, Snyder. 



Jordanidia, Snyder, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., xl., May 26, 1911, 



p. 527 (J. raptoria, Snyder). 

 Bexea, Waite, Rec. Cantb. Mus., I., pt. 3, June 24, 1911, 

 p. 235 {R. furcifera, Waite). 



According to Snyder, there were no ventrals in his specimen 

 of J. raptoria, while those of JR. furcifera are composed of four 

 weak spines. They are present in seven of my specimens of 

 the latter species, 320-450 mm. long, though they vary some- 

 what in development ; in a larger exami^le, 560 mm. long, 

 they are reduced to an indistinct scale-like structure which 

 scarcely projects from the skin. Snyder also detected small 

 scales on the hinder part of the body only, the rest of the head 

 and body being " apparently smooth " ; it is probable that 

 the anterior scales were rubbed off his specimen since they are 

 more or less distinct in R. furcifera. In all other details 

 Jordanidia and Rexea are very similar, and I have no hesitation 

 in uniting them. 



Jordanidia solandri, Cuvier cfe Valenciennes. 



Tasmania7i King-fish ; King Barracouta. 



Scomber macrophthalmus, Solander, M.S. 



Gempylus solandri, Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., 



viii., 1831, p. 215. 

 Thyrsites solandri, Giinther, Brit. Mus. Cat. Fish., ii, 1860, 



p. 352. Id., Johnston, Proc. Roy. Soc. Tasm., 1882 



(1883), pp. 82, 117. Id., Kent, Nat. in Austr., 1897, 



p. 172. 

 Thyrsites micropus, McCoy, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (4), xi., 



1873, p. 338. 

 Rexea furcifera, Waite, Rec. Cantb. Mus., i., pt. 3, 1911, 



p. 236, pi. Hi. 



I am indebted to Mr. B. B. Woodward for a copy of 

 Solander's M.S. description of his Scomber macrophthalmus, 

 upon which Cuvier and Valenciennes based their Gempylus 

 solandri. The definition of the latter is very short, and the 

 species has been considered to be synonymous with Pro- 

 Tnethichthys prometheus, Cuvier & Valenciennes. Solander's 

 description, however, is very complete, and gives details of all 

 the more important characters, including the remarkable 

 branched lateral line, dorsal and anal fiulets, minute ventrals, 

 etc., and I have no hesitation in following Johnston in asso- 

 ciating it with the Tasmanian King-fish. 



