BERYCOID FISH FAMILY POLYMIXIIDAE — LACHNER 



201 



table 8. Specimens from the Gulf of Mexico attained a larger 

 average size and consequently had fewer rakers. 



Throughout its range, Polymixia has been reported as quite rare. 

 Rivero (1936) reported two specimens of lowei from Cuba and men- 

 tioned the rarity of the species. We now can report lowei as being 



Table 8. — A crude regression analysis showing decrease in the number of gill 

 rakers v)ith increase in size in Polymixia lowei. 



relatively common. Although 150 specimens were captured and 

 saved by the Harvard-Havana Atlantis Expedition, many specimens 

 were discarded for lack of adequate storage facilities. William 

 Schroeder, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution ichthyologist at- 

 tending this expedition, informed me that one trawl haul yielded 

 more than 300 specimens. This haul could have contained nohilis 

 as well as lowei, but most of the specimens probably represented the 

 latter species. 



There is considerable variability in the depth of water in which 

 Polymixia is taken. This data is summarized for lowei in vrestern 



Table 9. — Depth of water, in fathoms, in which Polymixia lowei was taken. 



Locality 



Cuba 



Gull of Mexico 



U. S. Atlantic Coast. 



300-349 



Atlantic waters in table 9, several localities segregated. In Cuban 

 waters loioei was almost consistently taken at 200 to 300 fathoms. 

 The specific localities of the stations listed for the Cuban specimens 

 are given by Chace (1940). 



Polymixia japonica Giinther 



Polymixia japonica Giinther, 1877, p. 436 (type localit}', off Inoshima, Japan). — 

 Steindachner and Doderlein, 1883, p. 221, pi. 4, fig. 2.— -Jordan and Fowler, 

 1902, p. 18.— Tanaka, 1913, p. 218, pi. 59, fig. 221.— Jordan and Hubbs, 

 1925, p. 209. 



Polymixia nobilis Giinther, 1887, p. 34.— Kamohara, 1952, p. 29, fig. 22. 



Polymixia lerndti Gilbert, 1905, p. 616, pi. 78 (type locality, Honolulu, T. H.) 



A total of 28 specim.ens ranging in standard length from 94 to 171 

 mm. were examined from the following localities: Japan (14 speci- 



