Haasr.—Notes on Regalecus pacificus. 247 
On measurement I found this beautiful fish to be 12 feet 5 inches long, 
having an average breadth of 18:5 inches and a thickness of 8:5 inches. 
The whole skin is covered with a coating looking as if it consisted of frosted 
silver, and which adheres to the fingers very easily. The brilliancy of this 
silvery appearance is still more prominently brought out by numerous 
tubercles which stand above the skin, and by a number of irregular black 
lines and spots in the anterior portion of the body. 
If we add to this the fine metallie iridescence of the head, which 
possesses at the same time a crest of bright red spines on the top, it is not 
too much to say that the form and colouring of this species make it the 
most beautiful fish ever obtained on the coasts of New Zealand. 
The eapture of these greatly compressed, sword-like, deep-sea fishes 
occurring at such long intervals, and of which so little is known, has 
always excited the curiosity of the publie and the deep interest of the 
naturalist; and cases when specimens of this genus were secured in 
England and on the continent of Europe were generally noted in the 
publieations of the day. 
On examining the literature dealing with this genus, I find that this 
specimen is new to science, and I therefore propose to describe it here 
under the specific name of Regalecus pacificus. It is very different from the 
Regalecus described by Mr. W. T. L. Travers, which towards tbe middle of 
October, 1860, was stranded on the beach near the entrance of Nelson 
harbour, as “from the lower lip of that specimen depended a large number 
of na n barbules about sixteen inches long and of a brilliant red 
colour.” 
The puer given in that standard work proves that very little is 
known of these occasional visitors from the deep seas, as there are six 
species enumerated, of which most have been described from single and 
generally mutilated specimens only. 
REGALECUS PACIFICUS, Haast. 
B. 6 D. 9 P s 
378 
The length of the head is 7:75 inches, and height behind the eye 6-75 
inches, eonsequently the length of the head is one-nineteenth of the total. 
The height of the body is— 
2 feet from snout E es s> 1 .. 13:25 inches 
: is i inches from iecit +o a as i. IF p 
= IB 2, 
after iium it tapers gradually to ii ps 
m tail. is e 0M G 
LE 5 4 i co E n 
* Günther's Catalogue of Acanthopterygian Fishes, Brit. Mus., II., 307. 
