342 
BULLETIN OP THE UNITED STATES PISH COMMISSION. 
Pohjprion oxygenius Jordan and Gilbert, Syn. Pish. N. A., 532, 1883 (Deep water, off U. S. coast), not 
Epinephelm oxygeneios Bloch and Schneider. 
Polyprion americanus Jordan, Cat. Pish. N. A., 83, 1885 (probably not AmpUiprion americanus Bloch and 
Schneider). 
Rahitat. — Southern Europe, north to Norway and south to Cape of Good Hope, 
once taken in the Gulf Stream olf the United States coast. 
Etymology. — Cernier, French name for the species. 
This large fish is not uncommon in the deep waters off the coast of Europe, especi- 
ally southward. It is said to live most abunduntly about wrecks; hence the common 
name of wreck-fish. It reaches a length of five or six feet. A single young specimen 
has been taken in the deep waters of the Gulf Stream by the United States Fish Com- 
mission. 
10. POLYPRION OXYGENEIOS. 
(Hapuku.) 
f AmpMprion americanus Bloch and Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 205, 1801, pi. XLVII (based on a drawing 
sent from Latham to Schneider of some fish called “yij'oni” in America; called Amphiptrwi 
australis in the plate), (may have been based on a young example of P. cernium). 
Epinephelus oxygeneios Bloch and Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 301, 1801 (based on Forster’s MSS., Queen 
Charlotte’s Island, near New Zealand). 
Perea prog nathus Forster, MSS. Lichtenstein Cat. Anim., 1844, 309 (Queen Charlotte’s Island). 
Polyprion prognathus Gunther, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 1887, 236 (discussion of synonymy). 
Centropristis gigas Owen, Osteol. Cat. College Surgeons, I, 51. (Skeleton.) 
Oligorus gigas Gunther, I, 251, 1859. 
Hectoria gigas Castelnau, Proo. Zool. Soc. Viet., 11, 1873, 151. 
Polyprion kneri Steindachner, Ichth. Beitr., II, 1, 1875 (Juan Fernandez Island). Giinther, Shore 
Fishes, Challenger, 1880, 24 (Juan Fernandez). 
Polyprion sp. Kner, Novara Fische, I, 28, 1865 (St. Paul Island). 
Habitat. — South Pacific; coasts of South America and New Zealand. 
Etymology. — sharp, j'Asmv-chiu. 
We have not seen this species and know it only from the accounts given by Kner, 
Steindachner, and others. 
It seems to us that the figure given by Bloch and Schneider ot AmpMprion ameri- 
canns is quite as likely to have been based on this species, which is really American, 
as on the European Polyprion cernium. The species is represented as more slender 
than the European fish, and the rough ridges on the head, very conspicuous in the 
European species, are not shown in this picture. Latham’s drawing, on which Schnei- 
der’s species was based, was said to have been made in America, where the fish is 
called “ Girom.^’ As there is no certainty in the identification of this figure, we have 
adopted the name oxygeneios., rather than americanus. 
Dr. Gunther has lately published a note on the synonymy of this species, which 
throws much light on its history. He adopts for it the specific name of prognathus, 
a name which although proposed by Forster when the species was discovered has 
lain in MSS. until the year 1844. If, however, the name occurs in any prior works of 
Forster, Parkinson, or Captain Cook, it should be adopted in preference to oxygeneios. 
We quote Dr. Giiuther’s note in full : 
