292 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



of large, pointed teeth, some of the anterior ones very large and movable; vomerine teeth, 

 none; palatines with teeth similar to those in the jaws. Gills, 4. Gill-openings very wide, 

 with membranes slightly joined to isthmus. Pseudobranchiae none. Dorsal fins, two; anal, 

 single; ventrals inserted below pectorals, with live soft rays. Tail not isocercal, truncate at 

 base of caudal. Caudal forked. 



CHIASMI >DON NIGER, Johnson. (Figures 264, 264 A.) 



CMaamodon niger, Johnson, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1863, 108. — Johd.vx and Gilbert, loe. cit. 



Chiasmodua niger, GtJNTHBR, »/'■ ' ''■■ 435; Proc. Zool. Soc, L866, 38; Challenger Report, xxn, 1887, 99. — Cak- 

 ter, Pro-. Zool. Soc, 1866, 35-39, pi. n. 



Head compressed, elongate, the crown flat, its depth less than half its length, which is 

 two-sevenths that of the body; maxillary reaching angle of operculum; both jaws armed 

 with long, pointed wide set teeth, nearly all of which are movable; two anterior teeth of 

 upper jaw very long, crossing each other when depressed: three anterior pairs of teeth in 

 lower jaw likewise prolonged, the third pair the longest; palatines with a longer, fixed 

 tooth in front. Eye moderate, above the anterior part of maxillary, 4i in head, shorter 

 than snout, as wide as interorbital space. Lateral line in a longitudinal groove. First 

 dorsal of slender rays, its base 2£ in that of second dorsal ; anal commencing behind second 

 dorsal, its anterior rays without connection with vertebral column; posterior rays of anal 

 and dorsal very feeble; pectoral as long as head without snout: ventral half as long as 



pectoral. 



Radial formula: D. xi. 28; A. 27; P. 13; Y. :.. 



Color, entirely black. (Giinther.) 



The first specimen of this remarkable fish was obtained at Magdalena (Madeira), at a 

 depth of 312 fathoms, in 1850, by Lowe, who, however, omitted to give a description of it. 

 The species was rediscovered at the same locality by Johnson twelve years later. A third 

 specimen was picked up from the surface, near the island of Dominica. A fourth example 

 was obtained by the Challenger in mid-Atlantic, at station 107, in 15<l() fathoms, on August 

 26, 1873. A fifth was obtained by the I'. S. National Museum from ('apt. Thomas F. llodg- 

 don of the Gloucester schooner Bessie W. Somers. It was found on Le Have Bank, floating 

 on the surface, in June, 1880. 



It is evidently an inhabitant of very great depths. 



PSEUDOSCOPELUS, Lutken. 



Peeudoscopcliis, Lutken, Spolia Atlautica (2), 1892, 65; Vid. Selsk. Skr. (i>) Naturv. Og. Math., AM. B. n (6), 

 1892, 2S5. pi. 1, figs. 3, 4, 5. 



Body fusiform, scaleless. Mouth and gill-openings very large. Eyes moderate and 

 mouth with slender teeth turned inward and placed close together. Ventral fins subtho- 

 racic. The first dorsal short; second dorsal as long as the anal. Prominent and conspicu- 

 ous lines of pores along the upper jaw and mandible; also a second line of pores in front 

 of the ventral fins; another line of pores unites the base of the ventrals and runs down 

 the inner ventral ray on either side. The median line of pores divides into two in front 

 of the vent and passes on either side of the anal tin, terminating at its posterior extremity. 

 A short median line on the underside of body in front of the root of caudal. The lateral 

 line runs almost directly from the upper angle of the gill-opening to the base of the caudal, 

 curving slightly upward. 



PSEUDOSCOPELUS SCRIPTUS, Lutken. (Figure 266.) 

 Pseitdoscopelns scrip tus, Lutken, Spolia Atlantica, (2) 1892, 284, 285. 



This is a little fish with the ordinary fish shape, whose greatest height (15 millimeters) 

 is contained 5| times in the total length (82 millimeters, caudal included), the length of the 

 head, the form of which shows no peculiarity, scarcely 4 times. The fine skin was evi- 

 dently altogether scaleless. The gill cavities are comparatively large; the gill membrane, 

 however, is not free from the isthmus in front. The upper jaw, which is formed by the in- 



