6" 2 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



length of its base is about two-thirds that of the snout; its height equal to the diameter of 

 the orbit. Caudal furcate. Pectoral Long and strong, its length equal to the distance from 

 the tip of the snout to the posterior margin of the orbit, and about twice that of the man 

 dible. The ventral is inserted under the middle of the base of the dorsal, the distance from 

 the posterior margin of the orbit equal to the distance of the latter from the snout. Color, 

 brownish. 



Radial formula: D. 1, 8; A. 1, 7; V. 9 or 10. 



The species is described from a specimen about S inches in length, obtained by the 

 steamer Blake, at station lii, off Barbadoes, in 158 fathoms. 



Family BENTHOSAURID^. 

 Benthosauridas, Gill, MS. 



Synodontoidea with well developed supramaxillaries widening backward and applied to 

 the dentigerous intermaxillaries; pectorals inserted near the shoulders, and very long 

 ventrals. (Gill.) 



BENTHOSAURUS, Goode and Bean. 



Benthosatinis, Goode and Beax, Bull. Mas. Comp. Zool., xn. No. 5, 165. 



Body long, somewhat compressed, tapering into a slender, elongate, caudal peduncle. 

 Scales cycloid, of moderate size. Head slightly depressed; cleft of month wide, horizontal, 

 the lower jaw projecting at its extremity and anteriorly at the sides. The maxilla is long, 

 not stout, dilated posteriorly; the intermaxillary very long, styliform, tapering, immovable. 

 The intermaxillary and mandible with bands of small teeth, of uniform size, interrupted at 

 the symphysis. A short oblong band of similar teeth on each side of the vomer, separated 

 by a rather wide interspace. Palate and tongue smooth. Bye very small, inconspicuous. 

 Gill opening extremely wide, the branchiostegal membrane free from the isthmus. Gill 

 rakers long and slender, numerous, about twice as many below the angle as above. Pseu- 

 dobrauchi?e absent. Branchiostegals eleven. All the fins well developed; no adipose dor- 

 sal. Dorsal fin median, anal postmedian. Caudal forked, with lower lobe produced. 

 Ventral seven-rayed, inserted opposite the interspace between pectoral and dorsal, the outer 

 ray produced. 



Bent It <>s a iu- us is closely allied to Bathysaurus and Bathj/pteroin. 



BENTHOSAURUS GRALLATOR, Goode and Bean. (Figure 73.) 

 Bentho8aurus grallator, Goode and Bean, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool.,xn, No. 5, 168. 



Body elongate, somewhat compressed, depressed slightly forward, tapering behind into 

 a long slender tail, its greatest height contained 7 1 times in its standard length, and equal- 

 ing half the length of the head, its greatest width one-third the length of the head; its 

 height at the origin of the anal, five-sixths of its greatest height. Least height of tail half 

 the height of the body at the ventrals. Length of caudal peduncle 6i times its least height. 



Scales very thin, cycloid, leathery, deciduous; oval in form, except at the base of the 

 dorsal and anal fins, where they become more elongate; the horizontal diameter of a scale 

 in the lateral line equals twice the diameter of the eye. The lateral line is straight, above 

 the median line anteriorly, becoming median on the caudal peduncle, the tube-bearing scales 

 being prominent, and about 55 in number. Between the dorsal fin and the lateral line are 

 about nine rows of scales; between the latter and the anal fin, eight or nine rows. 



Head twice as long as the greatest height of the body, its length contained a little less 

 than 1 times in the standard body length, considerably depressed, scaleless except on the 

 vertex and the preoperculum. Operculum (perhaps accidentally) denuded. 



The snout is much produced, almost equal to the width of the interorbital space, which 

 is convex. The maxilla extends far behind the posterior margin of the eye, its length equal- 

 ing that of the postorbital part of the head. The mandible projects beyond the upper jaw 

 to a distance slightly more thau the diameter of the orbit, and receives the snout within its 

 extremity when the jaws are closed. The teeth have been fully described iu the generic 



