572 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



Mediolateral photophores 2; anterolaterals 2; posterolateral 1, (over 

 break in anal series) which, as in Myctophum punctatum, is considerably 

 in advance of the vertical connecting the root of the soft dorsal with 

 those of the last rays of the anal ; caudal photophores somewhat apart, 

 as in Myctophum phengodes ; superanals 7-9 -\- 49. Length 4 inches. 



Open seas, abundant in the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic off both 

 coasts. If Myctoph urn hoops and Myctophum calif orniense are the same, as 

 is possible, the species is also not rare in the eastern and southern Pacific. 

 As, however, no other species of MyctopMdw is common to the Atlantic and 

 Pacific coasts of North America, we may provisionally regard M. califor- 

 niense as distinct from M. humboldti. (Named for Alexander von Humboldt, 

 1769-1859, author of '' Cosmos," whose interest in the relations of life to 

 surroundings included some exact knowledge of fishes.) (En.) 



Gasteropelecuslmmboldti, Risso, Ichth. Nice, 358, 1810, Nice. 



Scopelm humboldli, GUNTHER, Cat., v, 407, 1864; LUTK.EN, Spolia Atlantica, n, 34, 1892; GOODE & 

 BEAN, Oceanic Ichthyology, 73, fig. 82, 1895. 



858. MYCTOPHUM CALIFORNIENSE, Eigenmann & Eigenmann. 



Head3f; depth 5; eye very large, 3 in head (specimens of 4 inches). 

 D. 14; A. 21; scales 42. Phosphorescent spots arranged exactly as in M. 

 humboldti. Body compressed, elongate, with long slender tail. Head 

 short and deep; preopercular margin little oblique; maxillary 1| to 1 in 

 head. Scales entire. Ventrals reaching beyond vent nearly to anal; 

 pectorals short, (not reaching in the type to second third of ventrals). 

 Cortez Banks, near San Diego. Very close to M. humboldti, but said to 

 have shorter pectorals. It is probably not distinct, as in one of Dr. 

 Eigenmann's types examined by us, the pectorals are as long as in M. 

 humboldti. Both pectorals have been partly digested, but the slender rays 

 on both sides reach middle of dorsal and beyond middle of ventrals. 



1 Myctophum loops, * RICHARDSON, Voy. Erebus arid Terror, 39, 1845, open sea between Aus- 

 tralia and New Zealand. 



Myctophum californiense, EIGENMANN, West American Scientist, Nov. 9, 1889, 1'24, San Diego. 

 f Scopelm boops, GUNTHER, Cat., v, 408, 1864. 



859. MYCTOPHUM GRACILE (Liitken). 



Head 5; depth 4f ; eye small, about 4 in head. D. 12; A. 19; scales 41. 

 Caudal spots 2, very close together ; posterolateral 1 ; anal spots about 

 6 -{- 12, in a slightly interrupted series; supra-anal spots 2, well separated. 

 Body slender, the head deep, the snout not very blunt ; pectoral mod- 

 erate, reaching front of dorsal. Open Atlantic, west to 48 W., 23 N. 

 (Liitken.) (gracilis, slender.) 



Scopelus gracilis, LUTKEN, Spolia Atlantica, 35, n, 1892, open Atlantic. 



? Myclophnm hiam, RICHARDSON, Voy. Erebus and Terror, 41, pi. 27, 1845, open sea, locality 

 unknown. 



* This nominal species, as Liitken has noted, agrees with M. humboldti in all respects except 

 that the scales are said to be fewer, 37 to 39 in the lateral line instead of 41. The eye is a little 

 larger, about 3% in head. This species is from the open Pacific, between Australia and New 

 Zealand. It has also been recorded (by Giinther) from Vancouver Island, but doubtless the 

 closely related M. californiense has been taken for it. Perhaps both boops and californiense are 

 identical with humboldti. 



