626 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 104 



of the arch, when present, have been included in the gill raker count as 

 discussed under Bembrops. 



The given length of the pectoral fin and the pelvic fin is that of the 

 longest ray, from its point of articulation; that of the caudal from end 

 of hypural to tip of longest ray, which is located at upper margin of 

 the fin. The depth was measured at the origin of the first dorsal. 

 The measm-ement of the "peduncle" refers to the least depth of the 

 caudal peduncle. The head was measured from the apex of the lobe 

 on the snout (not the middle anterior point) to the posterior margin 

 of the flexible opercle. The snout was measured from the same ante- 

 rior point as the head to the anterior soft margin of the eye. The eye 

 measurement represents the horizontal distance between its soft 

 margins. Numerical values of proportional measurements are ex- 

 pressed as a percentage of the standard length unless otherwise stated. 



Specimens examined: This study is based chiefly on the western 

 Atlantic specimens of this family in the collection of the U. S. National 

 Museum and the museum catalog numbers are given under the ac- 

 counts of the species. In addition, the types of Chrionema chryseres 

 and C. squamiceps that Gilbert described from off Hawaii have been 

 examined for comparative purposes as discussed below. Also, single 

 specimens of four other species of the genus Bembrops from the Pacific 

 and Indian Oceans were examined and some of their characters are 

 discussed under the account of that genus. 



Brazilian species: Two percophidid species are known from the 

 coast of Brazil, from which the marine fish fauna has much in com- 

 mon with the regions here considered. One species, Percophis brasi- 

 liensis Quoy and Gaimard, a notably long and slender fish, is readily 

 distinguishable by its much more numerous fin rays (D IX; 31. A 41 

 in one specimen, USNM 77325) and other well marked characters. 

 The other species, Hypsicometes heterurus Miranda Ribeiro (1915, 

 pis.), of which no specimens are available for examination, is described 

 as having the follomng combination of characters: D VI; 14. A 17. 

 P 25; lateral line about 59; eye iK times in snout. The combination 

 of the given counts is close to that of the species here designated as 

 Bembrops macromma, but the eye is smaller than in that species. 

 Miranda Ribeiro's photograph shows that the anterior straight part 

 of the lateral line extends for some distance behind the head, which, 

 except in individual variants of B. anatirostris, is different than in the 

 specimens examined of the species treated here. 



Nomenclature: The question of what family name to apply to 

 the two genera here considered is one of biology rather than of mere 

 nomenclature. The problem is how the genera Bembrops, Chrio?ny- 

 stax, and their near relatives are to be classified into families and how 



