8 - Sigurd Johnsen. 
Colour.) The back is a dark blueish black with a slight 
metallic gloss, this blueish colour shades evenly down to that of 
the sides, which are silvery on the body and head, becoming white 
on the under surface. There is a more or less strong tinge of rose 
colour on the upper jaw, the snout and the forehead, and some spots 
on the side of the head; along the middle of the back and on both 
sides of the base of the dorsal fin, there is a fainter band of rose 
colour; there are also irregular spots of a pale rose tinge on the 
upper sides. The pectorals, caudal fin and the rays of the dorsal 
and anal fins are deep scarlet. In the dorsal fin, the membrane be- 
tween D,—D,—D,, as well as the first half of D,—D,, is of the 
same shade, the rest being a dark blueish black, darker than the back. 
The membran between A,—A, in the anal fins is also scarlet; 
the rest being a brilliant white at the base, like the under surface 
of the body, gradually becoming darker blueish black distally, and 
increasing in caudal direction. The caudal at its root is black with 
a scalloped outline towards the rays of the fin; the axil is also 
black. As previously mentioned, the scaly covering was for the 
most part absent, therefore it is possible that the fish when alive 
was somewhat different in colouring, more especially with respect 
to the rose colour on the back. The particulars given me by the 
man who caught the fish do not, however, point in this direction. 
I am, therefore, inclined to think that the faintly outlined rose- 
coloured’ parts are remnants of a coloration, which was more pro- 
minent when the fish was younger. The specimen under consi- 
deration, 0,895 m., should probably be reckoned as halfgrown, for 
specimens have been known to have a total length of 1,6 m. 
(Moreau) and 1,8 m. (Waite). 
The younger stages, which have been described as separate 
species (Diana, Astrodermus) according to Moreau?) are “rose 
jaunåtre” on back and sides, in the case of specimens measuring 
34 cm. total length. 
The mouth is short, but es enn broad, the length of 
the upper jaw being 4,2 cm., the width of the mouth across the 
upper jaw being 4,8 cm. Tae jaws are toothless, the tongue and 
the palate a little rough. A fold of skin hangs down from the front 
part of dr palate across the whole width of the mouth. 
') The fish was received at the museum twenty- -four hours after it 
was caught. 
2) Astrodermus elegans. Moreau E.: Hist. nat. des Poissons de la 
France. T. 2. p. 518. Paris 1881. 
