Japanese Gempylidae — Matsubara AND IwAl 
203 
A 
Fig. 6. Gempylus serpens. A, lateral view; B, ventral fin enlarged. Drawn by authors. 
ray 3.57; longest (2nd) anal ray 4.26; cau- 
dal 1.57. 
Body greatly elongated, strongly com- 
pressed, at its middle somewhat less than half 
as wide as deep. Snout (Fig. 5B) conical, 
acutely pointed, projecting far beyond pre- 
maxillaries; lower jaw also sharply pointed, 
extending far beyond tip of snout when 
mouth is closed, the distance between tip of 
snout and that of lower jaw about 2.30 in eye. 
Mouth large; maxillary largely hidden under 
the infraorbital membrane, extending to a 
little byond anterior edge of eye, its width 
about equal to least infraorbital space. Five 
fangs on upper jaw near tip of snout, 3 on 
left side and 2 on right; the anteriormost on 
each side and the hindmost on the left side 
depressible; lateral teeth of jaws large, conical, 
and widely spaced; palatine teeth small and 
weak, uniserial; face of vomer rather rough, 
but evidently edentulous. Interorbital flat- 
tish, much narrower than eye. 
Two lateral lines both inserted below base 
of first dorsal spine; upper line running high 
to abrupt end below base of last dorsal spine; 
lower line descending gently backward and 
downward to tip of pectoral, then running 
along middle of body to base of caudal. 
Small scales scattered on basal part of caudal 
fin. 
Origin of dorsal midway between eye and 
insertion of pectoral; base of spinous part of 
dorsal about 1.90 in body length; soft dorsal 
about as long as anal, inserted slightly in 
advance of first anal soft ray. Anal preceded 
by 2 minute isolated spines. Pectoral extend- 
ing to below base of seventh dorsal spine. 
Ventral minute, inserted a little behind base 
of pectoral, with first soft ray much longer 
than either spine or other soft rays. 
Gill rakers (Fig. 2D) small, mostly hidden 
under the skin; several much smaller ones set 
in a single series between the larger ones ; both 
larger and smaller ones usually with a large 
basal plate and several small cusps. 
Color in formalin uniformly dark brown, 
except for several small black spots scattered 
above base of pectoral. Fins all dark brown, 
with the margins somewhat darker. 
REMARKS: The single specimen, the basis 
of our description and figures, agrees well 
with the published descriptions, except as 
noted under the genus and in having 28 in- 
stead of 29 to 32 dorsal spines and a slightly 
larger eye (5.64 in head instead of 5.8 to 7.0). 
Rexea Waite 
Rexea Waite (1911 [January 18]: 49 — type R. 
furcifera W 2 ^ 1 ^ = Gempylus solandri Cuvier). 
Jordanidia Snyder (1911 [May 6]: 527 — type 
J. raptoria Snyder). 
According to Whitley (1929: 120) the 
genus Rexea was first proposed by Waite on 
January 18, 1911, not June 24, 1911, as stated 
by Jordan (1920: 541). The genus Jordanidia 
Snyder was proposed on May 26, 1911, and, 
therefore, must give precedence to the earlier 
name of Waite. 
