NO. 1713. NEW CEPHAL0P0D8 FROM PACIFIC OCEAN— BERRY. 417 



HELICOCRANCHIA Massy, 1907 

 HELICOCRANCHIA FISHERI, new species. 



Body rather barrel-shaped, inflated. Mantle membranous, saccu- 

 lar, thin, colorless; attached firmly at either side of the funnel, and by 

 a cartilaginous semiarticulation in the nuchal region, very much 

 inflated, largest at a point nearly midway between the head and fins, 

 somewhat tapering anteriorly and also posteriorly, where it becomes 

 suddenly constricted and continues to a sharp point, extending as a 

 short, slender, spit-like process between the fins; integument much 

 wrinkled and ventrally contracted, doubtless largely due to the action 

 of the preservative used. 



Fins small, thin, circular, almost continuous posteriorly and sepa- 

 rated in the median line only by the integument covering the slender 

 gladius. 



Head rather large, concave above and below. Funnel moderately 

 large and with a ventral flexion. Eyes very large, globular, sessile; 

 openings of eyelids small. 



Arms short, fleshy; order of length, 4, 3, 2, 1; umbrella wanting; 

 lateral membrane or keel well developed, heavy, fleshy, Avithout trans- 

 verse supports or commissures save on the third pair of arms; third 

 pair of arms differing much from the others, being larger, with larger 

 suckers and a better developed marginal membrane, strengthened by 

 fleshy transverse supports; horny rings well developed, without teeth. 



Tentacles larger and heavier than the arms, about half as long as the 

 body; tentacular club large, expanded, tapering to an acute point, 

 with four closely placed rows of minute suckers which extend down 

 on to the stalk, two of them soon becoming obsolete, the remaining 

 two continuing down the arm for about two-thirds of its length, the 

 suckers becoming much reduced in size; suckers of the club extending 

 distally to the extreme tip, largest near the center; club furnished with 

 a well-developed lateral keel, inner margin of tip being supplied with 

 a second wider membrane, parallel to and above the keel. 



Gladius not examined. 



Color of preserved specimen whitish, semitranslucent. Chromato- 

 phores exceedingly minute and few in number. 



Ventral length of mantle 46.5 mm.;* width of mantle 23 mm.; 

 width across fins 12.5 mm.; length of tentacles 25 mm. 



The unique type was dredged in 280 fathoms, ooze bottom, at 

 station 3883, in the Pailolo channel. 



Named for Dr. Walter K. Fisher, of Stanford University, to whom 

 the author is much indebted for many helpful suggestions and other 

 kindnesses, and in whose laboratory this work has been carried on. 



a The dimensions here given are of necessity inaccurate, owing to the extremely 

 wrinkled and contracted condition of the mantle. 

 Proc. N. M. vol. 37— 09 27 



