186 Dr. Gunther on the Identity o/Alepisaurus with Plagyodus. 



by Steller and published by Pallas leaves scarcely any doubt that 

 they refer to the same fish which was discovered by Mr. Lowe 

 at Madeira, and named by him Alepisaurus, Later researches 

 have shown the existence of the same genus in the sea of Van 

 Diemen^s Land and on the north-west coast of America ; and 

 specimens from the latter locality have been named Cauhpus by 

 Mr. Gill. The name given by Steller will take precedence of 

 the others ; so that the three species known will stand as — 



1. Plagyodus ferox, Lowe. Atlantic; VanDiemen's Land. 



2. altivelis, Poey. Cuba. 



3. borealis, Gill (perhaps the species seen by Steller). 



North Pacific. . 



I add a translation of Steller's original notes, as Pallas's 

 ' Zoographia ^ is not accessible to every naturalist : — 



Among the papers of Steller there is mention of another fish, 

 which he received in a dried state from the Kurile Islands, and 

 thence described imperfectly under the name of Plagyodus. 

 This, on account of its adipose fin, seems to belong to the 

 Salmon Trouts, unless, indeed, it be an anomalous species of 

 Blennius. To this fish, extraordinary both in structure and 

 appearance, says Steller, I give this name on account of the 

 breadth and tenuity of its teeth. 



In a dried state the specimen was 44 English inches in length, 

 the length of the pectoral fins being 6 inches, the breadth 

 2 inches. It was elongate, somewhat slender, rather tapering 

 towards the caudal, and more flattened. Head large, broad, 

 compressed on the sides, to some extent resembling that of a 

 Pike, with the lower jaw very slightly the longest. Jaws white, 

 very thin, lamelliform. Maxillaries 4 inches long from the tip 

 to the angle of the mouth, with prominent, very sharp, equi- 

 distant teeth, 1\ line long. 



From the upper mandible, not far from the end of the mouth, 

 project two, or even more, long, broad, flat, very pointed, pellucid 

 teeth. At the distance of one inch from this point are many 

 very pointed, flat teeth, situated obliquely towards the angle of 

 the mouth ; to these correspond as many teeth of a similar cha- 

 racter in the lower jaw; but for the space of half an inch 

 before the angle both mandibles are destitute of teeth. In 

 the lower jaw, about one inch from the tip, there are some 

 small teeth ; after these there are three teeth, 3 lines in length ; 

 and the teeth arc distributed in series in this manner in either 

 jaw. The fish is doubtless rapacious, and bites very sharply. 

 I have called it Plagyodus j on account of its broad and thin 

 teeth, which are unlike those of any. other fish with which I am 



