164 



Scopetus spinosus Liitken, Spolia Atlantica, Scopelini, 1892, p. 239. 

 Myctophum (Myctophum) spinosum Brauer, Deutsche Tiefsee-Exp. Tiefseefische, 



1906, p. 196. 

 Dasyscopelus spinostis Gilbert. Mem. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard Coll. XXVI 



N. 6, 1908, p. 220. 

 Myctophum spinosum Max Weber, Siboga-Exp. Fische, 1913, p. 87. 



D. 1314; A. 1920; P. 14; V. 8; L.I. 40. 



Height 4 or somewhat more, head about 4, eye 2 2 / 5 to 

 nearly 3, snout very short, less than ] /s f e Y e > en< ^ of upper 

 jaw slightly dilated, reaching not far behind posterior border 

 of eye. Origin of dorsal before middle of length, somewhat 

 behind origin of ventrals, ending slightly before origin of anal. 

 Adipose fin above end of anal. Pectorals somewhat below 

 middle of height of body, nearly reaching to vent. Caudal 

 forked. Scales large, ctenoid, with many fine teeth, those of 

 the ventral scales are large and few in number. Luminous 

 organs : A small dorsal and ventral organ at the front margin of 

 the orbit, two operculars, the larger dorsal one below the level of 

 the ventral margin of eye, the smaller ventral one below it, on the 

 level of the hindmargin of the upper jaw; 3 branchiostegals. 

 Of the 5 PO between isthmus and ventrals, the 3 posterior 

 ones are equidistant, but somewhat separate of the two an- 

 terior ones. The posterior PVO below lower base of pectoral, 

 obliquely before and below it the anterior one, which lies 

 above the second PO. PLO above the anterior PVO nearer 

 to base of pectoral than to lateral line. 4 VO, equidistant 

 in a series between ventral and anus. 12 15 AO in two 

 groups, in the anterior 6 8 above the anterior */ 3 of the 

 anal, in the second group 5 7, the two anterior of which lie 

 above the end of the anal. The two Prc far distant from the 

 AO, a little obliquely arranged. VLO nearer to lateral line 

 than to ventral fin. The 3 SAO in an oblique or very slightly 

 concave line; the inferior one above the space between the 

 third and fourth VO, the middle one above the last VO, 

 the upper and more distant one just below the lateral line in 

 the vertical through the end of the dorsal. Pol slightly below 

 the lateral line, above last AO of the anterior group. About 

 7 supracaudal and 3 infracaudal luminous patches. Colour dark 

 blue above, silvery below. Length nearly 90 mm. 



Habitat: Celebes Sea (surface)!; Ombai straits. Indie. 

 West Pacific and East Atlantic. 



