356 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



PHYCIS, Schneider. 



Phycia, Schneider, Bloch's Systema Ichthyologia>, 1801, 56 (type, Phycis tinea, Schn.).— Cuvier, Rt'gue 

 Animal, ed. 1, 1817, n, 216— Gcntiier, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., iv, 351.— Jordan and Gilbert, Bull, xvi, 

 U. S. Nat. Mus., 798. 



Gadoids with rather elongate body, and with two dorsal fins, the first sometimes pro- 

 duced at the tip, and the second long, similar to the single anal. Head somewhat com- 

 pressed; mouth rather large, the maxillary extending beyond vertical from front of orbit; 

 lower jaw included; broad bands of Subequal, pointed teeth on jaws and vomer, palatines 

 toothless. Veutrals narrow, filamentous, each of 3 rays and widely separated. Gill mem- 

 branes slightly connected, narrowly joined to the isthmus. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF PHYCIS. 



I. No filamentous ray in first dorsal. 



A. First dorsal triangular. 



1. Second dorsaltnearly as high as first, 130 scales in lat. line P. mediterraneus 



2. Second dorsal much lower than first, 100 scales in lat. line P. blennioides 



B. First dorsal falcate. 



1. Lateral line gently arched, with white spots. Pectorals passing veutrals. Ahout 90 scales in 



lat. line P. REGIUS 



2. Lateral line strongly arched, broad over pectoral. Ventrals passing pectorals. About 155 scales 



in lat. line [P. Earlii] 



C. First dorsal rounded, not higher than second. 



1. Lateral line gently arched in front. 



a. Vent very far back. Ventrals attenuate, surpassing origin of anal. About 90 scales in lat. 

 lino P. CIRRATUS 



II. A prolonged filamentous ray in first dorsal. 



A. Ventrals less than half as loug as body. 



1. Lateral lino gently arched. Ventrals surpassing pectorals. 



a. Scales modi-rate, about 110 in lat. line P. eiir.ss 



6. Scales small, about 138 in lat. line P. tenuis 



B. Ventrals more than half as long as body. 



1. Lateral line strongly bowed anteriorly. Ventrals very elongate. 



a. Scales large, about 90 in lat. lino P. Chesteri 



PHYCIS MEDITERRAXKrs, He La Roche. 



Blennius phycis, LlNN-EtJS, Systema Natunr, ed. xn, 1766, 142. — Brunnich, Ichthyologia Massiliensis, 28.— 



De la Roche, Ann. Mus., xiv, 1809, 280.— Risso, Ichth., Nice, 125. 

 Phycis mediterraneus, De la Roche, Ann. Mus., xm, 1808, 332; Memoires, 46. — Risso, Hist. Nat. Eur. Merid., 



222. — Guichexot, Explor. Alger., 103. — Costa, Fauna Napol. — LOWE, Fishes of Madeira, 191, pi. xxvu.— 



Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., IV, 351. — Caxestrini, Arehiv. Zool., n, 364 ; Fauna Italica, 157. — Giglh hi. 



Elenco, 336. — Vaillant, Exp. Sci. Travailleur et Talisman, 1888, 289. — Moreau, Hist. Nat. Poiss., France, 

 m, 266. 

 Phycia limbatus, Valenciennes, in Webb and Berthelot, Hist. Nat. lies., Canar., 78, xiv, fig. 2. 



A Phycis with its body 4 times the length of the head, which is slightly longer than its 

 greatest height. Snout obtuse, projecting, longer than the diameter of the eye. Origin of 

 first dorsal somewhat behind that of pectoral; its rays are not produced and it is scarcely 

 higher than the second. Ventrals somewhat prolonged, but their tips not passing theorigin 

 of the anal. Scales small, about 180 in the lateral line, and 11 or 12 series above the lateral 

 line below the first dorsal. 



Eadial formula: D. 9-11 + 57-C3. A. 52-60. 



Color brownish; dark upon the back, lighter upon the belly. Vertical fins with a black 

 margin and a narrow, white edge. 



This southern European Hake is known from the Canaries and Madeira; at moderate 

 depths in the Mediterranean at Nice. Naples, and Sicily, and the coast of Algiers; and also 

 in the Adriatic at Trieste and Venice; and is rare everywhere. It was taken by the 

 Travailleur in 18S2 in the Gulf of Gascouy (station i) at a depth of 014 meters. 



