FISHES OF HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 
585 
Family NETTASTOMIMi. 
Metopomycter, new genus. 
Like Nettastoma in all respects, except the position and shape of the posterior nasal openings, which 
are long slits, beginning above the middle of the eyes and extending backward, converging toward the 
middle line. The genus includes the type species and Nettastoma parviceps Gunther. In the type of 
Nettastoma, N. melanurum, the posterior nostril is located in front of the eye, on a level with its upper 
margin. 
Metopomycter Gilbert, new genus of Nettastonvidx ( denticulatus ). 
Metopomycter denticulatus, new species. Fig. 233. 
Type, 778 mm. long, from station 4019, vicinity of Kauai, depth 409 to 550 fathoms; type, No. 
52191, U. S. Nat. Mus. 
Length of head and body 38 hundredths of the total. Length of head 34 hundredths of total 
length without tail; snout 13; eye 3; interorbital width 3; preoral length of vomer 1; tip of vomer to 
angle of mouth 17; tip of vomer to front of posterior nostril 15; length of gill-slit 2.5; distance between 
gill-slits 3.8; greatest depth of head 8; greatest width of head 7; distance from occiput to front of 
dorsal 9. 
Head and body slender; tail tapering posteriorly, but ending squarely at base of caudal; snout 
depressed, flattened above, its depth everywhere equaling or slightly exceeding its width; vomer pro- 
truding beyond mandible a distance equaling one- third the diameter of eye; soft tip of snout scarcely 
projecting beyond vomer; anterior nostril, on upper aspect of snout near its tip, a large round opening, 
directed forward, each in a very short tube; posterior nostril a long slit beginning above middle of eye, 
the two converging backward; sides of snout very soft, thickly beset with minute pores, a few larger 
pores in pairs on top of snout; diameter of eye equal to interorbital width; teeth very small, in wide 
bands, forming a shagreen-like surface, the inner series slightly larger, but still very small ; band on 
vomer extending five-sixths the length of buccal cleft; maxillary extending beyond the eye a distance 
slightly exceeding half its diameter; tongue absent. 
Dorsal fin beginning two-thirds diameter of eye in advance of gill-opening. 
General color olive-brown, growing darker toward tip of tail, and on head; snout, mandible, 
opercles, and area surrounding the vent, blue-black; a bluish tinge on abdomen and along base of 
anal fin; vertical fins translucent anteriorly with a light bluish tinge, becoming blue-black posteriorly 
with a white edge; abdominal cavity lined with blackish. 
The type only is known. The species differs from M. parviceps, from the Japanese region, in its 
larger head and different color. It has much smaller teeth than Nettastoma melanurum. 
