326 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



reaching nearly to the vent. Its length (15 millimeters) nearly equal to height of body. 

 Distance from origin of ventral to vent slightly greater than height of body. 



Color, light yellow, with silvery reflections, with clouding of brown above lateral line 

 and numerous black chromatophores; a series of irregular brown blotches above the 

 lateral line, with one or two, much darker, extending up on the dorsal fin. In many speci- 

 mens the color is uniform yellow, with simply the dark ocellfe showing. 



The type (Cat. No. 37340, U. S. N. M.) was obtained by the Albatross, from station 

 2402, in 28° 36' N. lat., 85° 33' W. long., at a depth of 111 fathoms. The Challenger took it 

 from station 122, off Pernambuco, Brazil, in 350 fathoms. 



NEOBYTIIITES MARGINATIS. G E and Beam (Figure 290.) 



Neobythiles marginatum, Goode and Bkan, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., xn, 1G2. 



Body compressed, somewhat elongate; its height (18 millimeters) contained 5| times in 

 its total length, and less than the length of the head. Interorbital area convex, its width 

 (5J millimeters) greater than the diameter of the circular eye, which is 4.J millimeters. 

 The length of the head (22 millimeters) is contained 4| times in that of the body. Mouth 

 large, the maxilla extending considerably behind vertical through posterior margin of 

 orbit; its length equals half that of the head. The length of the mandible (13 millimeters) 

 is slightly more than two-thirds of height of body. 



The teeth as in X. t/illii. 



Gill-rakers slightly longer than half the diameter of the eye, 7 and '■'> rudiments below 

 the angle of the anterior arch. Pseudobranchise absent. A long, Hat spine upon the 

 upper edge of the operculum, extending back nearly to its margin. Two short, flat spines 

 upon the angle of the preoperculum. Nostrils as in X. gillii. 



The scales small, very closely imbricated, in about 12.'! rows, 7 above and 29 below the 

 lateral line. 



The lateral line obsolete in its posterior half. 



The dorsal is composed of 101 rays; its distance rrom the snout is contained 4 times in 

 total length. 



The anal originates under the fourteenth dorsal ray at a distance from the snout con- 

 tained more than 2§ times in the total length. 



The caudal consists of about 8 or rays very closely placed: its length is contained 

 about 10J times in the total length. 



The pectoral is placed much as in Benthocometes, its length about equal to 2$ times that 

 of the head, extending to vertical through the vent. 



The ventral, a bifid ray inserted in advance id' base of pectoral, not reaching to the 

 vent; its length (14 millimeters) considerably less than the height of body. The distance 

 from its origin to the vent (19 millimeters) slightly more than the height of the body. 



Color light yellowish brown, an obscure narrow band of darker brown commencing on 

 the snout, interrupted by the eye, and extending backward two-thirds of the distance to the 

 tail; another beginning on the snout, extending over the eye and back as far as the first de- 

 scribed, interrupted posteriorly. Dorsal fin milky white at base in its anterior third; above 

 this a blackish band extending the whole length of the fin. A narrow white margin above. 



The type is from the Blah' station lxxix, off Barbadoes, 209 fathoms. 



Nedbythites macrons, Giinther [Challenger Report, xxvi, 102, PI. 10, Fig. A] is similar 

 in proportions and general appearance, and is blotched in color, though in a different pat- 

 tern. It is from Challenger station 173, off Matukee, Fiji Islands, at a depth of 310 

 fathoms, and from the Investigator, in Andaman Sea, in 265 to 271 fathoms. 



La 1S91 twenty specimens were taken in the Andaman Sea, Investigator station, 115, 

 188 to 220 fathoms. Their length varies from 4 to 8£ inches. [Alcock, op. cit., 1891 

 (July), 30.] 



