TRICHIURUS NITENS. 69 



those found in the A.tliintic. Tlie fin rays of an individual in hand, 

 which may belong to the form G. thi/rsitoides Less., are numbered as 

 follows : 



D. XXX, 12 + 6 ; A. II, 11 + 6 ; V. I ; P. 13. 



Obtained off the Cocos Islands. 



Trichiurus nitens sp. n. 



B. 6 ; D. 120-127 ; A. 94-103 ; P. 11. 



This species is closely allied to Trichiurus lepturus Linne, 1T5S. Com- 

 pared with specimens of that species it differs enough, in length of snout, in 

 size of eyes, and in numbers of fin rays, to -warrant separation. The two 

 forms are very similar in general features and without close examination 

 would readil}' be passed as identical. 



One individual of several at hand of the Atlantic T. Icjjfitrus has one hun- 

 dred and thirty-four rays in the dorsal and one hundred and one in the anal, 

 another has one hundred and thirty-seven dorsal rays and one hundred 

 and six anal rays; the eye is two thirteenths of the length of the head; 

 the length of the upper jaw from the eye forward is twice the length of the 

 latter or a little more ; the total length is eight times the distance from the 

 snout to the base of the pectoral ; and the depth is one sixteenth of the en- 

 tire length. 



In T. nitens the length of the head to the base of the pectoral is contained 

 seven and one thii-d to seven and one fifth times and the depth seventeen 

 and one half to nineteen times in the total length. Body and head com- 

 pressed, depth two fifths of the length of the head, tapering from the body 

 cavity to a thread-like extremity in the tail. Head tapering, pointed at the 

 snout. Snout elongate, pointed ; upper jaws shorter, massive ; lower jaws 

 longer, more slender, bearing a pair of fangs in front of the ends of the 

 upper jaws. Nostril moderately large, lateral, vertically oblong, near the 

 top of the head, near the eye. Month wide, anterior, horizontal ; maxillary 

 hidden, extending but little below the eye, hind end rounded. Teeth 

 small, compressed, sharp, in single series on each jaw, larger toward the 

 middle of the series and very small toward the ends ; three to four or more 

 large fangs, each with a barb near the point, below the forward portion of 

 the upper half of the snout each fang being nearly half as long as the eye. 

 Eye large, lateral, one and three fifths to one and three fourths times in the 



