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Show 272 ON ACANTHOCVBIUM SOLANDRI. [PeD. 16, 2. On a Specimen of Acanthocybium solandri from the Arabian Sea. By G. A. B O U L E N G E R , F.E.S. [Eeceived January 30, 1897.] The Trustees of the British Museum have recently received from their enthusiastic and generous correspondent at Muscat, Surgeon-Lieut.-Col. Jayakar, C.M.Z.S., a specimen of a pelagic ' Scombroid (Acanthocybium solandri), of which half a dozen specimens at the outside are known to be preserved in museums, and of which nothing but a dried head from the Atlantic, presented by Prof. Liitken, was until now in the National Collection. The specimen is further of interest as affording the first record of this fish in the Indian Ocean. The species was originally described by Cuvier and Valenciennes as Cyhlum solandri, from a M S . description and figure by Solander, taken from a specimen observed in 1769 about the Pomotu Archipelago, South Pacific Ocean, which figure has since been reproduced by Giinther in his ' Fische der Sudsee.' The specimen was 4 ft. long, and the radial formula is given as: D. 26-4-11+IX; A. 12 + X ; C. 33 ; P. 22; V. 1/5. Shortly after, hi 1839, the same fish was redescribed, under the name of Cyhlum sara, by Bennett, from notes and a sketch taken by Surgeon Collie of a specimen about 4| ft. long observed at the Loo Choo Islands. Badial formula: D. 25 + ? + IX; A. ? + IX. This C. sara became, in 1862, the type of Gill's genus Acanthocybium, a genus which, as Liitken has shown, is fully entitled to recognition. Dr. Giinther has since referred the species to the synonymy of C. solandri, a fact which Vaillant appears to have overlooked when redescribing it in 1885, from a specimen of unknown origin preserved in tbe Paris Museum (D. 25 +11 -+ VIII; A. 12 + IX). A very similar fish was described by Poey in 1860 as Cyblumpetus. This was said to be not uncommon off Cuba, growing to a length of 5 ft., but, ow ing to its large size, specimens were not preserved, and it was described from notes and sketches made on afresh specimen. D. 23+ 12+VIII; A. 12 + IX. C. petus is referred by Liitken to the synonymy of C. solandri. The same species appears once more under a new name in 1872, when Doderlein gives a detailed description of it, accompanied by an excellent figure, as Cyhlum verany, from off the coast of Sicily. D. 26 + 12 + VIII-1X; A. 12 + IX-X; P. 24; C. 1/5. This is also regarded as a sjmonym of 0. solandri by Liitken, who states that specimens up to 7 ft. long are occasionally captured in the Atlantic, north and south of the Equator, heads and tails only being preserved. Jordan mentions it as ' not very couunon " about the Florida Keys; a single specimen was taken at Key "West. D. 25 +12 + IX; A. 13 + IX. In the work quoted above Giinther has also reproduced a figure, 1 Eightly regarded as such by Liitken, although not included in Goode and .Bean's ' Pelagic Ichthyology.' |