370 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY TV. 



FAMILY LVI (c). XOTACANTHID^E. 



(The yotacanthitl Fishes.) 



Body elongate, somewhat compressed, covered with very small scales ; 

 head scaly: lateral line present. Head short, the snout protruding 

 beyond the mouth, which is of moderate size, horizontal ; both jaws with 

 a series of slender, close-set teeth. Eye lateral, rather small. Gill- 

 openings wide, not restricted above, the membranes not united, free 

 from the isthmus. Pseudobrauchire none. Gill-rakers long, slender. 

 dills !, a slit behind the fourth. Dorsal fin short, median, composed of 

 a i'e\v very short free spines, with sometimes a single soft ray. Anal 

 iin very long, moderately high, beginning near the middle of the body 

 and extending along the lower side of the band-like tail, confluent with 

 the small caudal ; anteriorly with numeror.sspines. Yentrals abdominal, 

 nearly median, of 2-4 inarticulate and about 8 soft rays; the fins very 

 close to each other, and often completely united. Pectorals short, placed 

 rather high. Genera 2, species about G ; deep-water fishes, found in 

 most seas. 



(Xo'ucanthi Giinther, iii, f>-14.) 



a. Dorsal spines G-12 ; snout without proboscis NOTACAXTIIUS, 180. 



ISO. NOTACANTIIUS Bloch. 



(Acanthonotns Bloch: fdin/ii/ludon Fubricius.) 



(Bloch, Abh. tier Iliiliui. Gesellsch. 1787: typo Notacuntluts <7 wiwi/ci Bloch = Acantho- 

 ii'ilii* unmix lUocli, Ausliiiitliselie Fix-lie, xii, 114 : fide Gill.) 



Snout not produced into a proboscis. Dorsal spines 12-15. Char- 

 acters of the genus otherwise included above. (>WTC, back; axcr/0a, 



spine.) 



595. IV. ciH'iiiiietzi ]'.:<>< h. 



Color plain, or with dusky bands on the back. First spine of the dor- 

 sal opposite, the ventral tin ; no soft ray in the axil of the. last spine. 

 Ventrals close together, and joined by the internal bonier of their mem- 

 branes. Pectorals 13 times in the length of the lish ; ventrals 22 

 times in length. Head S in length ; depth 12. B. 8; D. X; A. XIII, 

 110; C. 8.; P. 17; V. Ill, S. Lat. 1. 400. ( Yl,-n<-'n n,n-x.) Coast of 

 Greenland. This or some oilier closely related species has been lately 

 taken in deep \\ater oil' the coast of New England. 



(" Xutui'aiilluiH ''In ntnit:i HIix-li. AMi. <i<-r I'x'ilini. ( ;cscll.scli. 17^7 '' : Jnittt<ioti(n nasus 

 , Ausl. 1 i.M'lir, xii, 111: *li-n>illiiuitim mixiin Hlot-li A S< huciilc r, Syst. It-litli. '.VJO: 

 tuimiy Cuv. A \ ;il. viii, -Kl?: XiituaiittltitH iiaatiu Giinther, iii, 54: (Jauipylo- 

 -icii lifinh. Vidcuak. Solsk. Afhaudl. 1838, li>0.) 



