164 "ENDEAVOUR" SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



Body naked, the soft skin closely wrinkled into 

 minute, longitudinal folds; the angular muscle-segments 

 well defined. Lateral line a salient canal supported by 

 close-set, scale-like rings with points almost meeting in 

 the middle line; a minute tubercle is present at the base 

 of each ring. It commences above the preoperculum and 

 runs obliquely downward to the middle of the body and 

 terminates on the middle caudal rays. Branches of the 

 lateral line system extend forward onto the head ; one 

 crosses the nape and another extends forward on each 

 side of the upper surface of the head to the snout; still 

 another canal forms an obtuse angle near the postero- 

 inferior portion of the eye and extends along the pre- 

 orbital. Each of these is marked with open pores. 



Photophores are distributed as in the accompanying 

 figure and are more or less similarly disposed in several 

 specimens. A row is present beneath the eye and several 

 are scattered behind it. One is on the maxillary and 

 two on the cheek behind its posterior margin. A row 

 extends along each raruus of the mandible and others 

 are present upon the throat and gill-membranes. The 

 operculum, suboperculum, and preopercular border each 

 bear scattered photophores as shown in the figure. 

 Minute papillae are present on parts of the head which 

 apparently bear microscopic luminous organs. The body 

 bears numerous photophores which are most plentiful 

 on the lower surfaces; in the abdominal region they 

 are disposed in transverse rows. Similar photophores 

 are present on the dorsal and anal fins, the base of the 

 caudal, and the lower surfaces of the ventrals. 



The anal fin is entirely within the posterior third 

 of the body but the anterior dorsal rays are situated in 

 advance of it. Both fins appear to be somewhat rounded 

 with their median rays longest and approximately two- 

 thirds as long as the base of the fin. Ventral nearer the 

 base of the caudal fin than to the anterior margin of the 

 eye, its adprcssed rays not quite reaching the vent. 

 Pectorals inserted low on the sides; the second ray 

 appears to be longest and reaches much less than half 

 its distance from the ventrals. Caudal deeply forked. 



Colour. Deep violet-black; the head lighter. A 

 naked bluish stripe at the bases of the dorsal and anal 

 fins. 



