Masturus lanceolatus — King 
109 
Fig. 1. Two juvenile Masturus lanceolatus taken from 
the stomach of a dolphin captured in Hawaiian waters. 
April 11, 1950. 
These fish differ in one important respect, 
however, from any previously collected. Each 
has the caudal lobe continued as a whip-like 
structure longer than the body of the fish 
(Fig. 1). Except for the proximal 2 or 3 centi- 
meters, this caudal extension is very fragile, 
almost paper-thin, and is frayed toward the 
tip. These may be the first observed speci- 
mens — at least among the post-larvae, juve- 
niles, and adults — to show the true "normal” 
or unmutilated nature of the caudal fin. In 
view of the delicate structure of this appen- 
dage it is easily seen why the appendage is 
usually greatly reduced or missing in juvenile 
and adult specimens. 
Measurements of the two fish, fin ray 
counts, etc., are given in the accompanying 
table: 
REFERENCES 
Brimley, H. H. 1939. The ocean sun-fishes 
on the North Carolina coast. The pointed- 
tailed Masturus lanceolatus and the round- 
tailed Mola mola. Jour. Elisha Mitchell Sci. 
Soc. 55(2): 295-303. 
Fitch, John E. 1950. Notes on some Pacific 
fishes. Calif. Fish and Game 36(2): 65-73. 
Fowler, Henry W. 1928. The fishes of 
Oceania. Bernice P. Bishop Mus., Mem. 
10: 1-540. 
Gudger, E. W. 1937^. The structure and de- 
velopment of the pointed tail of the ocean 
sunfish, Masturus lanceolatus. Ann. and 
Mag. Nat. Hist. XIX (10): 1-46. 
1937^. The natural history and geo- 
graphical distribution of the pointed-tailed 
ocean sunfish {Masturus lanceolatus) with 
notes on the shape of the tail. Zool. Soc. 
London^ Proc. Ser. A, Pt. 3, 353-396. 
1938. Three six-inch pointed-tailed 
ocean sunfish, Masturus lanceolatus, the 
largest post-larvae on record. Jour. Elisha 
Mitchell Sci. Soc. 55(2): 305-313. 
Kuronuma, Katsuzo. 1940. A young ocean 
sunfish, Mola mola, taken from the stomach 
of Germo germo, and a specimen of Mastur- 
us lanceolatus as the second record from 
Japanese water. Biogeogr. Soc. Japan, Bui. 
10(2): 25-28. 
TABLE 1 
Measurements and Fin-ray Counts of Two Juvenile Pointed-tailed Ocean Sunfish 
(Length and Depth in Millimeters) 
SPECIMEN 
LENGTH 
TO 
DEPTH 
FIN-RAY COUNT 
Base 
C 
Edge 
C 
Tip 
C 
Behind 
eye 
Before 
D & A 
Over 
D & A 
P 
D 
c 
A 
D +C+ A 
Good condition 
111.9 
135.0 
300 
59.8 
63.6 
121 
10 
20 
(19?) 
5+6+8 
19 
(18?) 
58 
Gashes in 
both sides 
107.2 
129.0 
317 
68.2 
68.6 
135 
10 
19 
(18?) 
5+6+7 
18 
55 
