16 Sigurd Johnsen. 
On some young Stages of Luvarus from the 
Mediterranean. 
The family Luvaridae is now considered only to consist of 
one species, viz. Luvarus imperialis Raf., as Ausonia cuvieri Risso 
and Proctostegus prototypus Nardo: from the Mediterranean, as 
well as Ausonia cocksii Couch from the English coast are all re- 
ferred to this species. The list of synonyms has been further added 
to at as Giglioli’) has shown that a number of smaller forms 
from the Mediterranean must be looked upon as younger stages of 
Luvarus. These are Coryhaena elegans Risso, Diana semilunata 
Risso, Astrodermus corypkaenoides (Bon.) Cuv. & Val. and others, 
which by Moreau) are all referred to one species viz. Astro- 
dermus elegans (Risso), as he considers the differences observed 
in these species to be differences in age. I am not acquainted with 
Giglioli’s work, but both Day (1880) and Goode & Bean 
(1890) agree with him in considering the forms mentioned to be 
younger stages of Luvarus. Apart from the differences in pro- 
portions and colour, it is the appearance of the fins, which most 
clearly separates Astrodermus from Luvarus, for both the anal 
and more especially the dorsal fin in the former have a much 
longer base. According to Moreau, the number of the rays is 
as follows: 
Astrodermus: Luvarus: 
D522) 3293 D 13 
AAP 218 A 14 
var V då 
. Size: 0.20 — 0.42 m. Size: 0.6 — 1.0 — 1.75 m. 
I have examined two young specimens belonging to the Bergen 
Museum, they are from the coast of Sicily, and are in the older 
part of the collection at this museum; the colour is, therefore, al- 
1). Giglioli, E. H::Eleacødeinaanmie SPE e catalogo degli 
anfibi e dei pesci italiani. Firenze 1880. | 
1) Moreau, E.: Hist. nat. des Poissons de la France. T. II, p. 514. 
Paris 1881. 
