MACRURID^E. 335 



Family, III MACRURIDiE, Bichardsqn. 



Branchiostegals six or seven : pseudobranchiae absent. Body somewhat 

 enlarged anteriorly, and continued into a long, compressed, and tapering tail. 

 Two dorsal fins, the first composed of a few rays, the anterior of which may be 

 spinate : the second consisting of weak rays, being long, low, and continued 

 to the end of the tail : anal similar in extent to the second dorsal : caudal absent. 

 Ventral jugular or thoracic. Pectoral present. Scales ridged, keeled or spined. 

 Pyloric appendages numerous. 



Cosmopolitan deep sea forms, which have been most frequently captured at 

 depths varying from 120 to upwards of 2500 fathoms. 



Genus I Coryph^inoides, Gunner. 



Branchiostegals six or seven : pseudobranchice absent. Body elongated, tapering 

 from behind the head into a compressed and fine tail. No prominent ridges on the 

 head : snout obtuse and obliquely truncated : no bony articulation between the angle 

 of the preopercle and the suborbital ring of bones : an indistinct ridge on the angle 

 of the preopercle. Teeth in jaws villiform, an enlarged outer row in the upper jaw : 

 none on the vomer or palatines. A barbel present. A single short anterior dorsal 

 fin, armed with a serrated spine : second dorsal low and long extending to the caudal 

 and, composed of weak rays : anal of somewhat similar extent. Ventral below or in 

 front of the insertion of the pectoral. Scales of moderate size or small, and either 

 smooth or spiny. Air-bladder present. Pyloric appendages numerous. 



1. Coryphaenoides rupestris, Plate XCIII. 



Berg-lax, Strom, Sond. i, p. 267. 



Coryphcenoides rupestris, Gunner, Trondhj. Selsk. Skrift. iii, p. 50, t. iii, f. 1. 



Lepidoleprus norvegicus, Nilss. Prod. p. 51. 



Macrourus stroemii, Reinh. Dansk. Vid. Selsk. Afhand. vii, p. 129 ; Sundev. 

 Vet. Akad. Handl. 1840, p. 1 ; Gaimard, Voy. Scand. Poiss. pi. xi. 



Macrourus norvegicus, Nilss. Skand. Faun. Fisk. p. 000. 



Coryphcenoides norvegicus, Giinther, Catal. iv, p. 300, Annals and Mag. (4) 1874, 

 xiii, p. 139. 



Coryphcenoides rupestris, Collett, Norges Fiske, p. 131 ; Winthcr, Ich. Dan. 

 Mar. p. 36. 



B. vii, D. T V/190, P. 18-19, V. 8, A. 190. 



Length of head 4 J to 4|, height of body 5| in the total length. Eye diameter 

 1/4 of the length of the head, lj diameters from the end of the snout, and lj 

 apart. Interorbital space concave. The height of the head equals its length 

 excluding the snout : while the width of the head equals its postorbital length. 

 Snout obtuse and obliquely truncated. Cleft of mouth lateral, the posterior 

 extremity of the maxilla reaching to nearly or quite beneath the front edge of the 

 orbit. A very short barbel beneath the chin. Posterior edge of preopercle 

 crenulated : no bony connection between it and the suborbital ring of bones. 

 Teeth in the jaws small, with the outer row very slightly the larger : none on 

 the palate. Fins the first dorsal commences over the middle of the opercle, its 

 first ray strong, compressed, spinate, and having its anterior edge furnished with 

 serrations directed upwards. The second dorsal commences a short distance 

 posterior to the first dorsal, is very low at first, but gradually increases a little in 



