On the Supposed Occurrence in New Zealand of the 
North Pacific Fish Genus Sebastodes 1 
While attending the Seventh Pacific Science 
Congress in New Zealand I presented a 
paper on what I proposed to call the "anti- 
tropical” elements in the marine faunas, using 
this generalized term to include what I have 
for some time been calling "pantemperate” 
as well as what has long passed under die 
rather misleading term "bipolar.” Many pat 
terns of anti tropical ranges were indicated. 
My interest was consequently excited when, 
shortly afterward, I encountered two speci- 
mens in the Dominion Museum at Welling- 
ton that were labelled Sebastodes maccullocht 
Phillipps. If the genus Sebastodes should be 
found to occur also in New Zealand, we 
would have another example of antitropical- 
ity of a rather unique type. This large genus, 
except for one species or species group that 
ranges from Peru to South Africa, is strictly 
confined to the two sides of the North Pacific 
An examination of the somewhat compli- 
cated evidence indicates, however, that we 
do not have a new case of antitropical dis- 
tribution. The specimens that I examined are 
referable to a well-known New Zealand spe- 
cies that cannot be included in Sebastodes . 
Nor do they represent the species that was 
described as Sebastodes maccullocht by Phil- 
lipps (Neat Zeal . Inst., Trans, and Proc. 58: 
127-128, pi. 3, fig. 2, 1927). Nor is that 
nominal species properly referred to Sebas- 
todes. The type description and figure call 
for its reference to the genus Helicolenus 
Although that genus is essentially pantem- 
perate, a new example of antitropical distri- 
bution is not provided since Helicolenus per- 
coides (Richardson) has long been recog- 
nized as a member of the faunas of New 
Zealand and Australia. 
All characters evident in the description 
and figure of f ' Sebastodes maccullocht” agree 
1 Contributions from the Scripps Institution of 
Oceanography, New Series No. 447. 
with Helicolenus as currently defined, for in- 
stance by Barnhart and Hubbs {Calif. Univ. 
Scripps Inst. Oceanography, Bui. 5: 373- 
377, 385, 1946). There are only 12 dorsal 
spines (13, rarely 14, in Sebastodes) and 5 
anal soft- rays (typically 6 to 9 in Sebastodes ) . 
The dorsal fin begins well backward on the 
nape, far behind the eye, and is not very 
deeply notched between the spinous and soft- 
rayed parts. The spines are not markedly 
elongated. The pectoral fin has a relatively 
narrow base, for the lower rays are not pro 
current. Some of the upper pectoral rays are 
branched (not simple as in Pontinus) . The 
body is completely scaled and the head is 
largely scaled. The lateral line is complete 
In the absence of contrary evidence it can be 
assumed that the palatines are toothed. The 
head is relatively smooth, without deep cav- 
erns and high ridges, and with only moder- 
ately developed spines. The suborbital keel, 
developed anteriorly, is spineless. The border 
of the orbit is smooth. 
Though a final identification should await 
thorough comparisons of specimens, it may 
be suggested that Sebastodes maccullochi 
Phillipps is probably a synonym of Helico- 
lenus percoides (Richardson), the only spe- 
cies of Helicolenus now recognized from New 
Zealand. The type figure, from a photograph, 
certainly resembles very closely the drawing 
of H. percoides published by Waite {South 
Austral. Mus., Rec. 2: 162, fig. 266, 1921). 
Synonymies of that species have been given 
by Waite and by Phillipps {New Zeal. Mar. 
Dept . Fish Bull. 1: 53, 1927). 
I wish to thank Mr. W. J. Phillipps 
of the Dominion Museum in Wellington 
for assistance and numerous courtesies. — Carl 
L. Hubbs, Scripps Institution of Oceanog- 
raphy ( University of California), La Jolla. 
California . 
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