44. STOMIATID.E ASTRONESTHES. 287 



body. Series of phosphorescent dots along the lower side of the head, 

 body, and tail. Gill-openings very wide. Gill-rakers minute. No pseudo- 

 branchiae. No air-bladder. Atlantic, (e^j?, a viper; <rrw,aa, month.) 



479. E. barbatum Lowe. 



Black, with an elongate, club shaped (phosphorescent) rose-colored 

 spot between the maxillary and the eye. Barbel as long as head (ill 

 specimens seen), fringed at its tip. "Upper ray of pectoral produced in 

 a long and slender filament reaching nearly to the root of the ventrals" 

 (wanting in specimens examined). Ventrals narrow, elongate. Head G 

 in length; depth 9. B. 12; D. 12-15; A. 17; P. 3-5; V. 8. L. 9 inches. 

 Deep waters of the Atlantic; lately taken off Gloucester, Mass. 



(Lowe, Proc. Zocil. Soc. Loud. 1843, 83; Giinther, v. 427 ; Goode & Bean, Bull. Essex. 

 lust. 1879, 23.) 



136. MALACOSTEUS Ayres. 

 (Ayres, Journ. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. 1849, 53: type Malacosteus niger Ayres.) 



Body elongate, compressed, scaleless. Head rather compressed, the 

 snout very short, the cleft of the mouth very wide, extending to behind 

 the root of the pectorals. Teeth pointed, unequal, in single series on 

 both jaws and tongue; none on the palate. Opercula membrauaceous. 

 Dorsal far back, opposite anal. Pectorals rudimentary. Ventrals 

 rather posterior. One species known, (,'j.alazoz, soft; oVre'ov, bone.) 



472. M. niger Ayres. 



I 



Black, with a white loral spot. Snout very short, convex. Lower 

 jaw with very long canines. Barbel long and slender. Pectoral rays 

 coalescing into a thin, long filament. Ventrals filamentous. Head 3f 

 with caudal; depth C. D. 19; A. 20; P. 5; V. G. North Atlantic; a 

 single specimen known. (Ayres.) 



(Ayres, 1. c. ; Guiitlier, vi, 427.) 



137. ASTRONESTHES Eichardson. 

 (Richardson, Ichtli. Voy. Sulpli. 97, 1815: type Asironestlies niyra Rich.) 



Body rather elongate, compressed, scaleless. Head compressed, the 

 snout short, the mouth wide. Teeth pointed, unequal. Upper jaw with 

 four long, curved canines; lower with two; maxillary teeth fine, sub- 

 equal ; palatines with a single series of small, pointed teeth, similar to 

 those on tongue. Eye moderate. Throat with a barbel. Dorsal fin 

 long, inserted in front of anal, behind ventrals; adipose fin present; 

 caudal forked; paired fins well developed. Gill-rakers minute. No pseu- 

 dobranchire. No air-bladder. Lower parts with phosphorescent spots. 

 v, star (star-fish); e<7#:w, to eat.) 



