266 
BULLETIN OE THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 
BATHYMETRICAL DISTRIBUTION. 
The data accompanying the lists of specimens taken by the Albatross as given in this 
paper are partial extracts from the records of the voyage as given in the Report of the 
United States Fish Commission for 1902 (p. 397-432, Washington, 1903). For more 
full and detailed stational observations reference may be had to the original paper. 
It is worthy of note that no truly abyssal forms were captured unless we so consider 
the two specimens of L<Btmoteuthis , the mangled condition of which may perhaps be 
partly due to their having gotten considerably “out of their depth” when taken, as well 
as to rocks in the dredge. A glance at the table of stations given in the appendix of this 
report shows that the greatest depths from which any specimens of cephalopods were 
obtained were those sounded at stations 3989 (385-733 fathoms, Heteroteuthis hawaiiensis, 
Teleoteuthis compacta, Mastigoteuthis(?) famelica), 4039 (670-697 fathoms, Eledonella sp.), 
and 4110 (449-460 fathoms. Polypus hoylei). In no other instances was a member of 
the class obtained at a greater depth than 400 fathoms, and even in the cases above cited 
it seems by no means improbable that some of the actively nectonic species may have 
become ensnared in the dredge during its transit to the surface. Altogether it must be 
admitted that even the archibenthal regions have been scarcely drawn upon, and it is 
only concerning the reef and pelagic fauna that we can presume even a fair degree of 
knowledge. The two latter habitats have each their characteristic group of species, 
although certain of the smaller free-swimming forms are not uncommon in the reef pools, 
and both attain the richness customary in tropical regions. As is well known in the case 
of the fishes and other groups, many of the reef species are truly regal in their brilliantly 
variegated coloring and other ornamentation. Polypus entirely fulfills expectations 
in being the group most conspicuous on the reefs both in species and in number of indi- 
viduals, but Euprymna and Sepioteuthis are also to be captured there. In the plankton 
we find the usual run of more delicate, less actively swimming forms — Argonauta, 
Tremoctopus, Troc/ic/otcwt/iw,larvalommastrephids,histioteuthids, and octopods of various 
species and genera, Liocranchia, and the omnipresent Euprymna — nearly all warm-water 
species of wide dispersion. 
“ As is shown in the table following, five species, mainly of very active habit, are 
found between the surface and the loo-fathom mark, the richest and by far the most 
varied fauna of all occurring in the deeper water down to a depth of 400 fathoms. The 
most remarkable bathymetric range exhibited by any single species is that of Euprymna 
scolopes, which, though very abundant at or near the surface, is frequently met with in 
all depths down to 130 or 140 fathoms and therefore appears in no less than four columns 
of the table. Polypus hoylei is recorded from 257 to 460 fathoms. 
