FISHES OF HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. ClGl 



dorsal; si'alea cm head very Uirw, iiiorr than twict' tlii>^^e on sides of Imdy; they entirely invested 

 liead, including snout and mandil)le, except the gill-membranes. 



Dorsal brownish on body and top of hea<l; belly, breast, oijercular and gular nieniliranes blue- 

 black; snout and side of head also blackish, this being espe(nally marked in young examples, where 

 the deeper lying black pigment is seen through the translucent surface tissues; mouth and gill-cavities 

 and abdominal cavities lined with lilack. 



In the 6 specimens obtained, tlie ventral rays are constantly '.) in mnnlier; the dorsal formula is 

 II, S in 2 specimens, ii, !i in 4; the pectoral varies from 17 to 19, and the gill-rakers in all except the 

 type, number (! or 7 on the vertical limli, 22 to 24 on the horizontal limb of the outer arch. 



The iiresent species resembles in appearance fl(ilJii/</ii(liis ci/ltiiidia (li'mther, from New Zealand and 

 the Kermadec islands, but differs generically in the ])resence of a slit behind the last gill, and in the 

 position of the scapular foramen. Like B. cothiidcs, it has a very soft ca\ernous head, with excessive 

 development of the system of sensory canals, and very thin delicate mendirane bones. The head is also 

 very w'ide and subquadrate, with nearly vertical cheeks, and lacks any trace of a mandibular barVjel. 

 In addition to the generic characters, the 2 sjiecies differ in the mniilx-r nf ilorsal and pectoral fin-rays, 

 the number of gill-rakers, and the relative lengths of snout, interorbital width, and orliital diamc-ter. 

 Direct comparison of specimens has not been possible. Because of the presence of a slit behind the 

 last gill, and tlie position of the scapular foramen, which is wholly within the hypereoracoid, this 

 species is placed in the genus (/(ulonnix Regan. Its relations with O. longijili.i, the type of GadoiiiM, 

 seem, however, remote, as is indicated by the absence of a barbel and by the entire habit of the fish. 



The species was taken at the following stations: Nos. .3977, vicinity of Bird Island, S76 to — 

 fathoms; 4007, vicinity of Kauai, oOS to 55" fathoms; 4141, vicinity of Kauai, 437 to 632 fathoms; 4151, 

 vicinity of Bird Island, 313 to 800 fathoms. 



Melanobranclius micronenia, new species. Fig. 2.58. 



Type, 2:55 nun. long, from station 4094, I'ailolo (channel, between Maui and ilolokai, depth 753 to 

 787 fathoms; type, No. 51643, V. S. Nat. Mus. 



Head 5.2 in total length; depth 6.7; head and trunk 3.2. D. ii, 10; I*. 18; V. 8. 29 scales in 

 an obliciue series upward and furward fnim first anal ray to base of dorsal; ]>yloric ca-ca very large, 

 9 in number. 



Head wider and somewhat softer than in (iinlotinis iiirliiiin/itrnis. the greatest width of head exceed- 

 ing length of snout and eye, contained 1.7 times in length of head, (1.7 the greatest depth; snout wide 

 and low, bluntish at tip, its greatest widtli equaling distance fi.ini its tip to jiosterior margin of pupil; 

 longitudinal diameter of eye eipial to interorbital width, 4.5 in the head; snout longer, 3.(i in head; 

 mouth terminal, but little oblicjue. the mandilile everywhere included, shutting wholly within the 

 premaxillary teeth; maxillary extending beyond vertical from hinder margin of eye a distance equal 

 to O.H diameter of orbit; mandibular barbel minute, its free jiortion not more than half a millimeter 

 long; teeth minute, ecjual, slightly depressible, in narrow bands in each jaw, the premaxillary band 

 reaching angle of mouth, the mandibular band shorter; palate toothless; preopercle narrow with 

 ]iarallel margins; opercle and suboperele terminating posteriorly in weak spinous points, which are 

 concealed in the membrane; gill-membranes joined anteriorly, but free from isthnms, across which 

 they form a moderate free fold; outer set of gill-rakers very long and sleudi'r, the Inngest .(> diameter 

 of eye; gill-rakers 35 in number, (> or 7 on vertical limb of arch; branchiostegals 7; gills 4, a wide 

 slit behind last arch; no pseudobranchi;e; scapular f<iramen between the hypereoracoid and the 

 hypocoracoid. 



Origin of first dorsal slightly in advance of base of pectcjrals; first dorsal sjiine very short and con- 

 cealed, the second elongate, filiform, .9 length of head; remaining rays forked as well as articulated, 

 except the last 3, which are simple; interval between the dorsals a trifie wider than that separating the 

 successive rays of the secniid dor.sal; second dorsal rays very high, llie longest uninjured ray .3 length 

 of head; tail injured, blunt at tip, surrounded by the tin; anal origin vertically below thirteenth ray 

 of second dorsal, the rays all very short; upper pectoral ray very elongate, reaching thirty-sixth rav of 

 second dorsal, its length (85 mm.) contained 2.7 times in total length; outer ventral ray also elongate 

 and filamentous; injured in the tyjie, its broken tip reaching base of (ifth anal ray, 40 mm. long: a very 

 short interval separates vent from front of anal lin;.liiwe of vi-ntrals midway between front of anal tin 

 and middle of mandible. 



