PISHES. 
71 
Order CHONDRGPTERYGII. 
Fam. CHIMyERIDiE. 
Chimera Colliei. 
Chim. pinnA dorsali prima a secunda disjunct A, secundA per medium late emarginata, tertiA caudce extremitatem appro - 
pinquante ; anali pone pinnae dorsalis tertiae initium incipiente. 
PLATE XXIII. FIG. 1. 
Hab. in Oceano Pacifico, apud Monterey California;. 
In general form this species closely resembles the Chim. monstrosa, L. Like that fish of the 
Atlantic Ocean, this of the Pacific has a fleshy snout projecting forwards over the mouth, marked on 
its under surface by three lines of punctures on each side, which lie parallel to each other, and unite in 
the middle to form as many angles pointed forwards ; the upper part of the head between the eyes is 
furnished in the male with a short curved cartilaginous peduncle, enlarging into a rounded extremity 
covered with spines, and received during inaction into a cavity formed for it in front of its base ; 
there are three dorsal fins, the anterior supported in front by a strong spine, and the posterior two 
almost continuous with each other, and terminating before arriving at the extremity of the tail ; an 
anal fin extending from nearly opposite the commencement of the third dorsal to the tip of the tail ; 
ample pectoral and ventral fins, supported on fleshy pedicles of a shield-like appearance ; each ventral 
fin furnished in the males, with two sets of appendages, one in advance of it, spinous on its inner 
edge, and included when at rest in a groove of the integuments ; the other behind the fin, arising as a 
single stem, which is afterwards forked ; and a lateral line passing along near the back, and suddenly 
deflected obliquely just beyond the end of the second dorsal fin, where it descends to the ventral edge 
of the tail, along which it is continued to be gradually lost about the middle of the anal fin. In these 
particulars both the species of Chimcera agree, but they differ essentially in the position and form of 
some of the fins, and in the form of the male appendages to the ventrals. 
The Chimcera Colliei is silvery on the back and sides ; it is brownish above, and dull white below : 
on the back and sides it is marked with numerous dull white rounded spots, varying in size from one to 
three or four lines in diameter. The vertical fins are white at their base and throughout the greater 
part of their extent, but become blackish towards their margins ; the pectoral and ventral fins are also 
white ; the former having a blackish line along their outer margin, and the latter being slightly dusky 
towards their outer edge. The lateral line is white, slightly margined on each side with a brown line. 
The projecting part of the nose is brown above, and the interocular process is white. 
The anterior dorsal fin is supported in front by a long and strong spine, which is prickly on its 
hinder surface ; the membrane attached to this spine slopes almost directly downwards ; it contains 
about six rays : when it has very nearly reached the back, it is continued backwards in the form of a 
slight fold of the skin, for about one-half of the space between it and the commencement of the second 
dorsal. The space intervening between the first and second dorsal fins, nearly equals the length of 
the former measured along the back. 
The second dorsal commences nearly opposite to the base of the ventrals. It rises rather rapidly 
to its highest part, which is near its front; then descends considerably, and afterwards rises gradually 
until it is suddenly rounded off to the back. It is immediately succeeded by the third dorsal, which 
rises for about one-fourth of its length, and then slopes off gradually to be lost a short distance before 
the end of the tail, which tapers to a point, but can scarcely be said to end in a filament. 
The anal fin commences a short distance behind the origin of the third dorsal : it rises for about 
one-third of its length, and then slopes off gradually, to be lost almost at the extremity of the tail. 
The upper edge of the pectoral fins is straight to near its end, where it is slightly rounded off 
towards the point ; from the point it slopes sharply forwards, and is rounded at its lower side. 
The outer and inner margins of the ventral fins are nearly parallel ; each is however slightly 
rounded, the latter being rather more so than the former, which it somewhat exceeds in length : these 
fins are truncated at the end, and are even slightly emarginate. They extend beyond the posterior 
extremities of the appendages which are attache^ to them in the male. (Plate 23, Fig. 2.) 
