584 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



Family LKPTOCEPHALID.+:. 

 Leptocephalus sequoreus ((iillipit A C'ruiner). 



It seems at present inipo;<.sible to recognize Cou(/relliis as distini't fi-uni Leptocephalus. The position 

 of tlie front of the dorsal, whether over the liasal portion or the distal portion of tlie pectoral fin, can 

 not be considered a useful generic character. The sjjecies which have been included in Coiiyri'lliix are 

 su]iposed to live in somewhat deeper water and to have the system of sensory canals more largely 

 developed, but the species differ widelj^ in this respect also. It is best to unite these genera until a 

 review of all the species has discovered some basis for sei>aration. 



In the original description of L. irqnori'd, the snout is said to be contjuned S to 8.2-5 times in the 

 head. This should read 3.5 in a<lults, 3.7 or 3.8 in young. The projection of the soft tip of the snout 

 is \arial:)le; it usually extends beyond the mandible for a distance less than two-thirds diameter of 

 eye; the longitudinal diameter of eye is contained 6.3 times in the head; the teeth on the head of the 

 vomer form a Ijroad transverse patch, the outer posterior tooth on each side sometimes a little enlarged; 

 those on the shaft of the vomer are separated from the anterior teeth by a short interspace, and ai'e 

 in a short narrow patch, the central tooth enlarged, canine-like, and sometimes preceded or followed 

 by 1 or 2 smaller canines on the median line; the maxillary and mandilndar teeth are similar, all 

 slender and sharp, arrangetl in bands, within which no rows are visil)le; at the angle of the mouth 

 the teeth are very small, those in tlie outer portion of tlie baml becoming larger anteriorly. A 

 single short and thick pyloric c;ecuni. 



Tlie species was taken at the following stations; Nos. 3813, off the south coast (jf Oaliu, 183 to 2ii4 

 fathoms; 3984, vicinity of Kauai, 164 to 237 fathoms; 3988, vicinity of Kauai, 165 to 469 fathoms; 4122, 

 off the southwest coast of Oahu, 192 to 352 fathoms; 4123, off the southwest coast of Oaliu, 352 to 357 

 fathoms; 4136, vicinity of Kauai, 294 to 352 fathoms. 

 Coiiiirriinira-iia :riiiioria <iilbLTl A CramtT, Proc. r. S. Xiil. Mils., XIX. lsi)7, 405, pi. .w.wil. 



Promyllantor alcocki (iilbert & Cramer. 



Not abundant; taken at 7 stations, ranging in depth from 238 to 334 fathoms. This range 

 embraces that of the type specimens, collected in 1891 at a depth of 295 fathoms. 



The genus I'roinyllaiitor differs from Ijeptucrphnhis in the position of the nostrils, and in the denti- 

 tion. The posterior nostril is aljove the anterior part of the eye; the anterior is on the inferior surface 

 of the projecting snout. The teeth are all villiforin, in very broad bands. In J', pitrpureits Alcock, 

 the type and only other species of the genus, the teeth are described as occurring "in broad bands in 

 the jaws, and in a broail continent triangular patch covering the palate." From this description, 

 Goode and Bean (Oceanic Ichthyology 1896, p. 138) ha\e inferred that the genus lacks vomerine 

 teeth. In J'. (iln>rki. the roof of the mouth is largely covered by a broad patch of villiform teeth, 

 wdiich are placed on the shaft of the vomer and are continuous with the narrower band on the head 

 of the vomer. The latter does not project beyond the broad maxillary bands, which are continuous 

 with it laterally. It is very jirobable that Alcock's description of /'. purpnreux, quoted above, refers 

 to a condition .similar to that found in P. alruclci. The teeth are narrowly conical, Ijut not acutely 

 pointed, those on the posterior portion of the vomer blunter than the others. There is no pyloric 

 c;ecmn. Tlie soft tip of the snout is much longer in some specimens than in others, soinetiines 

 scarcely protruding beyond the jaws. C'oiuiroKoiiKi Otarman (Mem. Mus. Couip. Zool., XXIV, 1899, 

 p. 308), seems to differ from Fi-omiiUdntor only in the [losition of tbe posterior nostril, which is in 

 advance of the eye. 



Examples were taken at, the following stations: Nos. 3836, off the .south coast of Molokai, 2.38 to 2.55 

 fathoms; 3867, Pailolo Channel, 284 to 290 fathoms; 3883, Pailolo Cliannel, 277 to 284 fathoms; 3900, 

 I'ailolo Channel, 280 to 283 fathoms; 3912, off the south coast of Oahu, 310 to 334 fathoms; 409(1, 

 Pailolo Channel, 304 to .308 fathoms. 

 Friimiillanim- ulcmki tiilljurt & rruuu-r, I'riir. II. .-<. .Niil. Mus., XIX. 1S97, 4uri, [,l. .\.vxvl, lig. 1. 



