178 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
We have one large example of this species, No. 04314. It has a total length of 4 feet 6 inches, 
measured from tip of snout to tips of middle caudal rays, and weighs, after evisceration and having 
been in alcohol several months, 40 pounds. This specimen agrees with current descriptions except 
that the dorsal and anal spines and rays are somewhat fewer. It was sent us by Mr. E. L. Berndt, 
inspector of the Honolulu market, and furnishes the lirst record of the occurrence of this species in 
the Pacific. 
Jiuvcttus pretiosus Cocco, Giorn. di Scienze per la Sicilia, XLII, 21, 1829, Messina; Goode & Bean, Oceanic Ichtli., 196, 1896; 
Jordan & Evermann, Fishes North and Mid. Amer., 1, 879, 1896; Jordan & Evermann, Amer. Food and Game Fishes, 
289, 1902; Snyder. Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., XXII, 1902 (Jan. 19, 1904), 523 (Honolulu). 
Tetragonurus simplex Lowe, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1833, 143, Madeira. 
Rovetus temminkii Cantraine, Giorn. Sci. et Litt., Pisa, 1833; vide Poey. 
A canth oclerma temminkii Cantraine, Nouv. Mem. Ac. Sci. Belles-Lettres, Bruxelles, X, 6, PI. I, 1837 (Jan. 17, 1835), Sicily. 
Thyrsites acanthoderma Lowe, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1839, 78, Madeira. 
Rovcttus temminkii, Valenciennes, Poiss., in Webb & Berthelot Nat. Hist. Canary Islands, 11,62, PL II, 1837-44. 
Aplurus simplex , Lowe, Trans. Zool. Soc. Lond., II, 1841, 180. 
Thyrsites seholaris Poey, Memorias, I, 372, pi. 32, fig. 1, 1851, Havana. 
Thyrsites pretiosus, Gunther, Cat., II. 351, 1860 (Mediterranean). 
Genus 104. PROMETHICHTHYS Gill. Conejos. 
Body elongate, slender, fusiform; mouth large, with 2 strong canines in front of each jaw; 
spinous dorsal long, contiguous to the soft, which is rather high; 2 finlets above and 2 below; 
pectorals comparatively low; caudal without keel; ventrals represented by a pair of minute spines; 
no dagger-shaped spine behind vent. Preopercle unarmed except in young. Lateral line descending 
in an oblique line, undulating below the front of the spinous dorsal. Scales very minute, smooth. 
Voracious fishes of the open seas, reaching a moderate size. 
Prometheus Quoy & Gaimard, MS. 
Prometheus Lowe, Trans. Zool. Soc. Lond., II, 1841, 184 ( atlanticus ); name preoccupied. 
fDicrotus Gunther, 'Cat., II, 349,1860 ( afmatus ). 
Promethichthys Gill, Mem. Nat. Ac. Sci., VI, 115, 123, 1893 ( atlanticus ; substitute for Prometheus of Lowe). 
131. Promethichthys prometheus (Cuvier & Valenciennes). Plate 29. 
Head 3.5 in length; depth 7.8; eye 5 in head; snout 2.6; interorbital 6.1, in eye 1.3; maxillary 
2.2; I), xix— i, 19-ii ; A. n, 17-n. 
Body subfusiform, elongate, low, uniform, compressed, slender; head long, compressed; snout 
long, lower jaw the longer, rounded, with 2 long, sharp, canine teeth in front, slipping outside 
upper jaw; teeth on both jaws, vomer, palatines and tongue, the latter small and villiform as are those 
on the palatines, those on vomer 6, long and fang-like; rather blunt, wide-set, conic teeth in jaws; 
tongue thick, rather pointed, free for a short distance; maxillary reaching anterior edge of pupil; 
mandible reaching vertical slightly beyond posterior edge of pupil; eye large, median; interorbital 
concave with a deep groove, pointed posteriorly; middle dorsal spines highest, about 3.2 in head, last 
spine over vent; caudal forked; anal and soft dorsal similar, highest anteriorly; dorsal and anal finlets 
2 each ; ventrals each composed of a single spine about as long as eye, the base slightly anterior to base of 
pectoral; pectoral 2 in head ; scales small, thin, cycloid, deciduous; lateral line straight to under fourth 
dorsal spine, thence abruptly downward and backward, reaching a line on middle base of pectoral at 
the tip of pectoral, thence straight to fork of caudal fin, running on lower side of caudal peduncle and 
rising slightly on posterior portion of peduncle. 
Color in alcohol, uniform blackish brown; head black; fins all dark, dorsal membranes black. 
The above description based upon a specimen (No. 04215) 16 inches long, obtained at Honolulu. 
Three other examples were obtained at Honolulu (Nos. 04213, 14 inches; 04214, 15 inches; and 
04216, 8.5 inches). We are unable to discover any differences between these and Japanese specimens 
with which we have compared them. 
Ocmpylus prometheus Cuvier -& Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., VIII, 213, 1831, St. Helena; Valenciennes, Ichth. lies 
Canaries, 51, PI. XL, 1836-1844 (Canary Islands). 
Gempylus solandri Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat.- Poiss., VIII, 215, 1831, New Holland. 
Prometheus atlanticus Lowe, Trans. Zool. Soc. Lond., II, 1841, 181, Madeira; Lowe, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1839, 78; Lowe, 
Fishes of Madeira, 1, 141, pi. 20, 1813; Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862, 126; Poey, Synopsis, II, 364, 1868 (Cuba); 
Poey, Enumeratio Piscium Cubensium, 73, 1875. 
