THE LATERAL LINE SYSTEiM OF CHIMERA COLLIEI 
A. M. REESE 
Professor of Zoology, West Virginia University 
EIGHTEEN FIGURES 
INTRODUCTION 
The interesting systematic position of the Chimaeroid fishes^ 
and the somewhat confused classification of the members of the 
group, would seem to justify a description of the lateral line sys- 
tem of this particular species even were the system not of sufficient 
interest in itself to make such a piece of research worth while. 
Dean's recent monograph ('06) makes it unnecessary to discuss 
the appearance and habits of this species. His beautiful figure of 
the adult animals shows quite accurately the surface appearance 
of the canals, as seen in a lateral view, but he gives no descrip- 
tion of the system. 
According to Dean's classification there are four genera and 
something more than twenty-five species of Chimseroids. 
Garman says there is no greater divergence in the most dis- 
similar forms of sharks than there is in the lateral line system of 
two genera of Chimseroids, Callorhynchus and Chimsera. 
The Chimaeroids are widely distributed over nearly the entire 
world. The species under discussion is found along the Pacific 
coast of the United States, and nearly all of the material upon 
which the present work was done was collected at Pacific Grove, 
California. 
I am indebted to the Directors of the Hopkins Marine Lab- 
oratory for the privilege of working at their station, and to Pro- 
fessor Ritter for his courtesies during a most pleasant and profit- 
able visit at the San Diego Marine Biological Station, though 
no fresh Chimaeroid material could be obtained at the latter place. 
