ANTARCTIC FISHES OF THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. 233 



INIOMI. 



SUDID^. 



9. Notolepis coatsii, Dollo. 



Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin., xxviii., 1908, p, 58. 



Prymnothonus (part.), Glinth., ''Challenger" Pelagic Fish, p. 39, pi. v. fig. D (1889). 



., Hookeri (non Richards.), Dollo, Proc. Boy. Soc. Edin., xxvii., 1907, p. 35. 



Depth of body 6|- in the length, lengt*h of head 5 ; snout half the length of head ; 

 diameter of eye 6^ in the length of head. Teeth rather small, pointed, uniserial, in 

 jaws and on palatines. Dorsal 8 ; origin nearly equidistant from head and base of 

 caudal ; adipose fin rather long and low. Anal 28. Caudal with numerous procurrent rays. 

 Pectorals narrow, about ^ length of head. Vent below anterior part of dorsal. Scales 

 deciduous. Myotomes 82, 34 in advance of dorsal fin. Silvery white ; back bluish. 



It is with some difficulty that I have put together the above description of the type of 

 the species, 105 mm. in total length, taken at the surface in Scotia Bay, South Orkneys. 

 The specimen is in very bad condition,* and everything that one touches falls off"; 

 hence it is not surprising that I cannot see the small pelvic fins described by Dollo. 



In a paper on the classification of the Iniomi [Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (8), vii., 1911, 

 pp. 120-133) I have already called attention to the fact that Dollo's family Pa.ralepidae 

 is not a natural group, and that Notolepis diff"ers from Paralepis apparently only in 

 the greater length of the adipose fin, a character of very slight importance to anyone 

 familiar with the species of Siluroids. 



Larval and post-larval examples of this species that I have examined are : — 

 1.— 44 mm. ; 62° 26' S., 95° 44' E. Challenger collection. 



2.— 50 mm. ; at Station 422, 68° 32' S., 12° 49' W., 10-800 fathoms; tempera- 

 ture at 800 fathoms 32*4° F.; 23rd March 1904. Scotia collection. 

 3-5.-38 to 56 mm. ; at Station 414, 71° 50' S., 33° 30' W., 0-1000 fathoms; 

 surface temperature 29 '1° F. ; 15th March 1904. Scotia collection. 

 Except that the teeth are relatively stronger and the eye larger, specimens 1 and 2 

 are extremely similar to the type, and agree with it in the number of fin-rays and 

 of myotomes ; I cannot find any pelvic fins, nor ascertain the position of the vent, but 

 the eight-rayed dorsal fin is distinct in both. 



Specimens 3 to 5 are the ones described by Dollo as Prymnothonus hookeri ; these 

 evidently belong to the same species as the other examples, with which the larger one 

 agrees in the head, dentition, and approximate number of myotomes. In the smaller 

 ones the head is relatively smaller and the snout shorter. I am unable to make out 

 the fins, or position of vent, and I am very doubtful as to whether the so-called 

 embryonic anal fringe is an actual structure present in the living fish. 



Dr Dollo named this species in honour of the late Mr James Coats, junr., of Paisley, 

 whose generosity was the chief means of assuring the dispatch of the Scottish National 

 Antarctic Expedition. 



* This is regrettable, as this specimen was originally so perfectly preserved and was brought home in perfect 

 condition, and was acknowledged to have been received by Dr Dollo " eii hon e'tat." — W. S. B., Editor. 



