530 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
Echinorhynchus pristis Rudolpki. 
[Plate iv, ligs. 31 to 38.] 
Rudolplii, Entoz. Hist., n, 299; Synopsis, 75, 333, 672. Westrumb, Acantlioceph., 
32. Dujardin, Hist. Nat. des Helminth, 534. E. pristis Rud.? Wedl., Sitzuugsb. 
d. kais. Akad. d. Wissensch., xvi, 402 and 408, tab. n b , 10. Diesiug, Syst. 
Helminth, ii, 48 ; Revision der Rhyng., p. 750. 
For older literature see Dies. Syst. Helm. Compare also E. lateralis Molin, 
Sitzuugsb., d. kais., Akad. d. Wissensch., xxxm, 295; Denkschr. d. k. 
Akad., xix, p. 269, tab. vm, tig. 13. 
The description of this species, as quoted by Dujardin from Ru- 
dolphi, is as follows : 
Body red or roseate, filiform; length, from 18 to 76 ram ; breadth, 
1.12 mm (Rud. Entoz .), or 0.56 mm (Rud. Synops .), cylindrical, a little 
swollen at some distance from the proboscis, and armed in front with 
a dozen rows of hooks, which are reddish, oblique, thick, and trian- 
gular, with a length of 6.75 mm in a specimen of 76 mm . Proboscis linear, 
straight, white, 2.25 mm in length, armed with thirty to forty transverse 
rows of hooks; neck, none. 
Three lots of Echinorhynchi, two from a silver gar ( Tylosurus carib - 
bams) and one from Lobotes surinamensis . have given rise to much per- 
plexity in attempting their identification. Two well-marked forms are 
represented, which, however, have many characters in common with 
each other as well as with E. pristis Rud. and E. lateralis Molin. 
Three of these specimens agree sufficiently well with iJ, pristis to allow 
of their being placed, at least provisionally, under that species. The 
others from Tylosurus and those from Lobotes I have referred to the 
variety tenuicornis . 
There is an element of doubt in this disposition of the specimens from 
the gar, which the following statement of fact will make plain. The 
two lots were from the same individual host. One lot, comprising three 
females and one male, was found in the intestine ; the other, comprising 
two females and five males, was found in the rectumv The males of the 
two lots are plainly specifically identical. One of the females of the 
second lot has lost the proboscis and can not be compared with the 
others satisfactorily. The three females belonging to the first lot have 
long, slender, and moderately clavate proboscides, which are armed 
with about forty transverse spiral series of hooks, of which twelve or 
more may be seen in a single spiral on one side. All of the other spec- 
imens, including the males of both lots and the one female of thesecoud 
lot, have smaller linear proboscides, which are armed with about twenty 
transverse spiral series of hooks, about six visible on a side in each 
spiral. The specimens from Lobotes agree closely with the latter form. 
One of ’the females, which I have referred to E. pristis, yielded the 
following measurements while living; the specimen was slightly com- 
pressed: Length, 12 mm ; length of proboscis, 2.60 ram ; diameter of probos- 
cis, apex 0.4Q mm , base 0.26 ,mn ; length of neck, 0.40 mm ; diameter of neck in 
