882 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum, 



400. PROMETHICHTHYS, Gill. 



(CONEJOS.) 



Prometheus, QUOY & GAIMARD, MS. 



Prometheus, LOWE, Trans. Zob'l. Soc. London, n, 181, 1841, (atlanlicus) ; name preoccupied. 

 ? Dicrotus* GUNTHER, Cat., n, 349, 1860, (armatus). 



Promethichthys, GILL, Mem. Nat. Ac. Sci., vi, 115, 123, 1893, (atlanticus; substitute for Prometheus 

 of LOWE). 



Body elongate, slender, fusiform ; mouth large, with two strong 

 canines in front of each jaw ; spinous dorsal long, contiguous to the soft, 

 which is rather high; two finlets above and two below; pectorals com- 

 paratively low ; caudal without keel ; ventrals represented by a pair of 

 minute spines; no dagger-shaped spinebehind vent. Preoperculum unarmed 

 except in young. Lateral line descending in an oblique line, undulat- 

 ing below the front of the spinous dorsal. Scales very minute, smooth. 

 Voracious fishes of the open seas, reaching a moderate size. (Trpo/uydr/s, 

 wary; /;p%f, fish.) 



a. Head short, 4 in length ; depth 7. PROMETHEUS, 1271. 



aa. Head longer, 2% in length ; depth 6. PARVIPINNIS, 1272. 



1271. PROMETHICHTHYS PROMETHEUS, Cuvier & Valenciennes. 

 (RABBIT FISH ; COELHO ; CONEJO ; BERMUDA CATFISH.) 



Head 4 ; depth 7. D. XVIII-19 or 20-11 ; A. 16-11 ; V. I ; vertebra 30 + 

 14 = 44. Body elongate, compressed throughout, no where carinate. Head 

 smooth ; eyes prominent, the space between them flat, with a shallow 

 median groove. Mouth large, the gape about reaching middle of eye. 

 Both jaws with an outer row of about 25 short, strong, compressed 

 triangular teeth; anterior canines similar but much stronger; vomer 

 toothless ; palatines with fine close-set teeth. First dorsal low, its spines 

 weak, with fragile membrane; second dorsal high; caudal forked. Ven- 

 trals reduced to two small blunt scale-li'ke spines, much larger in the 

 young, where minute rays are also present. Lateral line abruptly bent 

 downward under front of dorsal, without dorsal branch. Scales minute, 

 apparently wanting; vertical fins with rudimentary scales. Uniform 

 deep coppery brown in life, with metallic iridescence, with some blackish 

 cloudings ; fins more or less dusky. Tropical islands of the Atlantic, in 

 deep water ; west to Cuba and the Bermudas ; not very common. (Lowe. ) 



* The generic name, Dicrotus, was given to a very young fish, Dicrotus armatm, GUNTHER, from 

 unknown locality. The characters of Dicrotus are those of larval Gempylinse and Thyrsitinse. 

 In these larvaa the ventral spines are elongate, the preopercle armed with spines, the finlets con- 

 nected with the body of the fin, the anal spines more developed, and the body short. Liitken 

 regards Dicrotus armatus as the young of Promethichthys prometheus, in which case the name 

 Dicrotus (fiucporo?, two-oared), would supersede Promethichthys. The description of Dicrotus, 

 however, applies better to Promethichthys prometlwides (Bleeker), an East Indian species having 

 D. XVIII-II, 15-11, A. II, 14, II, and two lateral lines. This species apparently belongs to 

 a different genus from Promethichthys prometheus. For this latter genus, the name Dicrotus should 

 be retained. 



The following is the generic description of Dicrotus: "Body rather elongate, compressed; 

 cleft of mouth wide. First dorsal continuous, with the spines of moderate strength, and 

 extending on to the second; finlets none. Ventral reduced to a long, crenulated spine. Pre- 

 operculum with several spines at the angle. Body naked. Several strong canines in the jaws ; 

 minute teeth on vomer and palatine bones. No keel on tail. Seven branchiostegals. Pseudo- 

 branchiae present. (Gunther.) Fin rays D. XVIII, 18 ; A. II, 16; V. I, in Dicrotus armatus. 



