1930 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



Prionislius macellus, BEAN. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1883, 355, Carter Bay, British Columbia 

 (Types, Nos. 31958 and 33793, U. S. Nat. Mus. Coll. Capt. H. E. Nichols) ; GILBERT, 

 Kept. U. S. Fish Coinm. 1893 (1896), 431. 



723. ELANURA, Gilbert. 



Elanura, GILBERT, Kept. U. S. Fish Comm. 1893 (1896), 429 (forficata). 



This genus is nearly related to Prionistius, from which it differs in the 

 presence of a series of enlarged scutes along each side of base of dorsal 

 fins, in the presence of spinous cross folds on the breast, and in the very 

 deeply forked caudal fin. Preopercular spines 4, the lower 3 developed as 

 thin, flat lobes. From Triylops it differs in the forked caudal, in the 

 great elongation of the body, and the lengthened dorsal and anal fins. It 

 agrees with Triglops and Prionistius in all other important structural 

 details, including the exserted, more or less produced lower pectoral rays. 

 Alaska. (Elanus; rjXavo^, a kite; ovpd, tail, from the long caudal fin.) 



2305. ELAffURA FORFICATA, Gilbert. 



Depth 61 to 7f . D. XI-29 or 30 ; A. 30 to 32 ; P. 21 ; C. 11 ; V. 1, 3 ; lateral 

 line 54 to 56 ; branchiostegals 6. This species is most closely related to 

 Prionistius macellus, with which it agrees in its extreme elongation, in the 

 production of its exserted pectoral rays, and in the investment of the 

 spines and rays of dorsal and caudal and pectoral fins, with series of 

 minute prickles (not " serrations "). The caudal fin is very widely forked, 

 not merely emargiiiate as in Prionistius macellus, the dorsal series of spinous 

 scutes is present, and also the customary plates on the breast. The veii- 

 trals occupy the position usual in the genus and extend well beyond the 

 vent. The iiiterorbital region is a wide, shallow groove, unlike the nar- 

 row space in Prionistius macellus, there is a naked streak on cheek follow- 

 ing the lower line of the suborbital stay, and the coloration is peculiar. 

 Extremely elongate, heaviest at the shoulders, tapering slowly and regu- 

 larly backward, the ventral region often distended ; depth of body equal- 

 ing, or nearly equaling, length of snout and eye; length of caudal 

 peduncle, from last anal ray to base of median caudal rays, varying from 

 f to 1 times length of snout and eye; body everywhere compressed, 

 slightly deeper than wide, the greatest width and depth of head about 

 equal; depth of caudal peduncle greater in females than in males, aver- 

 aging f diameter of eye in the former, f eye in the latter. Occipital 

 region of head nearly square in cross section, tapering regularly. A pair 

 of inconspicuous low ridges diverging from behind eye, and a pair of 

 cross grooves, 1 immediately behind eyes, the other on middle of occi- 

 put, hardly noticeable in the young ; supraocular rim protruding laterally, 

 anteriorly and posteriorly, deeply incurved above middle of eye ; iiiteror- 

 bital space wide, evenly concave, its greatest width over front of eye 

 equaling length of snout, its least width | diameter of orbit; snout sharp, 

 with oTeatly convex upper profile showing a faint transverse groove 

 behind nasal spines, its length less than diameter of eye, 3 to 3 in 

 length of head; mouth slightly oblique, reaching a vertical halfway 



