DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AM) THEIB DISTRIBUTION. 65 



The uppermost detached pectoral ray reaches beyond end of scales. The longest ventral ray 

 is three sevenths of length without the caudal. Longest anal ray about one-halt' head. 

 Radial formula: B. 12; 1). 1. 11: A. 9; V. 2, 6; I'. 2, LO; Sc. 6-60-8. 



MEASUREMENTS. 



Millimeters. 

 Caudal 58.24 



Millimeters. 



Length 243.00 



Height 31.13 



Thickness 20.08 



Head 45.18 



Snout 16.35 



Eye 3.06 



Interorbital space 16.35 



Bathypterois dubivs, of Vaillant, is represented in his collections by seventy examples, 

 among which he recognizes a great amount of individual variation, and more than one 

 species may be included under this name. It resembles most closely B. longipee. 



Examples were taken off the coast of Morocco, in depths ranging from 834 to 1,590 



meters; off the Canaries, in 1,238 meters; off the Soudan coast, in 932 to 1,232 meters; on 



the Arguin Bank, in depths of 1,113 to 1,195 meters, and at the Azores, in 1,257 to 1,112 



meters. 



BATHYPTEROIS QUADRIITLIS, ci ntheh. (Figure 75.) 



Bathypterois quadrifilis, GfJNTHEK, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1878, u, p. 184. — Challenger Report, xxu, 188, 

 pi. xxxm, lig. 15. 



The uppermost and lowermost of the pectoral rays are filiform, the former bifid tor 

 more than two thirds of its length, the latter simple. Outer ventral rays much prolonged, 

 not dilated. Dorsal inserted close to root of ventrals. Adipose tin present. 



This species differs somewhat more from the preceding than these do among themselves. 

 The greatest depth of the body is one-seventh of the total length, without caudal, the length 

 of the head nearly one-fifth. The head is remarkably flat above, and the width oftheinter- 

 orbital space exceeds the length of the snout. The eye is small, but larger than in the pre- 

 ceding species, about one-third of the length of the snout, and one-fifth or one-sixth of the 

 length of the postorbital portion of the head. The dentition and branchial apparatus do 

 not offer any noteworthy peculiarity. 



The dorsal tin occupies the middle between the extremity of the upper jaw and the root 

 of the caudal fin. A narrow adipose tin is present and midway between the dorsal and cau- 

 dal. The anal tin commences immediately behind the dorsal, its origin being equidistant 

 from the roots of the pectoral and caudal. Caudal tin emarginate. 



The principal distinctive feature of this species is that it possesses not only the long 

 detached upper pectoral ray, but also an equally long lower ray, which, however, is not 

 removed from the remainder of the fin. The upper ray becomes bifid in its proximate third, 

 and is accompanied by an extremely short rudimentary second ray; it scarcely reaches to 

 the caudal tin and is shorter than the lowermost ray, which may reach to the end of the 

 caudal, and is split only at its very extremity. 



The structure of the ventral tins is the same as in Bathypterois longipes, but the strong 

 outer rays are somewhat curved and do not reach the end of the anal. 



The scales are cycloid, as in the other species, but those behind the basal portion of the 

 pectoral tin are deeply pectinated, provided with from 5 to 10 long aud narrow teeth, of 

 which the middle ones are the longest. (Giinther.) 



Color blackish or black; pectoral filaments whitish. 



Radial formula: B. 12; D. 11; A. 9; P. 2-9; V. 9; L. lat. 59. L. transv. 6 | 8. 



The types of this specimen were obtained by the Challenger off the coast of Brazil; two 

 specimens, one from station 120, at a depth of 770 fathoms, one from station 121, at a depth 

 of 500 fathoms. 



The Blake obtained one specimen at station xcvui, off St. Vincent, at a depth of 513 

 fathoms. 



Two specimens, one of them G\ and the other 4J inches in length, were taken by the 

 Albatross at station 2385, in 710 fathoms. Another (No. 31903, U. S. N. M.), 6 inches in 

 length, at station 2117, in 083 fathoms. 

 19858— No. 2 5 



