360 



DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



PHYCIS CHESTERI, Goor.i: and Bean. (Figure 313.) 



Phycia Chesteri, Goode and Bean, Prof. U. S. Nat. Mus., i, 1878, 256; Cat. Fish. Esses Co. and Mass. Bay 

 187!t, 8; Amer. Jour. Sci. and Arts, xvn ; Jan., 1879, 40. — Goode, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., m, 337, 476. — 

 Jordan and Gilbert, Bull, xvi, U. S. Nat. Mus., 799. 



Head contained in body (without caudal) J^ times, height of body 5 times. Diameter 

 of orbit in length of head 3. 1 - times, maxillary twice. Barbel about one-third of diameter of 

 orbit. Vent situated under 12th ray of second dorsal, and equidistant from tip of snout 

 and end of second dorsal. Distance of dorsal flu from snout equal to twice the length of 

 the mandible; the third ray of the first dorsal is extremely elongate, extending to a point 

 (33d ray of second dorsal) two thirds of the distance from snout to tip of caudal, its length 

 more than twice that of the head, and more than four times as long as the rays imme- 

 diately preceding and following it. Anal fin inserted immediately behind the vent, its dis- 

 tance from the root of the ventrals equal to that of the dorsal from the snout. As in the 

 other species of the genus,' the ventral is composed of 3 rays, the first two much pro- 

 longed. The first is contained three times in the length of the body, the second is almost 

 three times as long as the head, reaching to the 40th anal ray or f of the' distance from 

 snout to tip of caudal; the third is shorter than the diameter of the orbit. 



The pectoral is four times as long as the operculum. Scales large and thin, easily 

 wrinkling with the folding of the thick, loose skin, particularly in the median line of the 

 sides of the body. Lateral line much broken on the posterior half of the body. 



Scales 7, 90-91, 28. 



■Radial formula: D. 9 or 10, 55 to 57; A. 56; C. 5, is to 21, 5; P. 17-18; V. 3. 



TABLE OF MEASUREMENTS. 



Current numbi r of specimen . 



Locality . 



'.'1,840. 



Trawl 174. 



42 miles E. j S., 

 Cape Aim. 140 



Jul hums. A u g - 

 27, 1878. 



Milli- 

 meters. 



lOOthsof 

 lengl a. 



21,841. 

 Trawl 194 



21. 842. 

 Trawl 194. 



33 miles E. by S., Cape Ann, E. Pt., 

 110 fathoms, Au». 31, 1878. 



Milli- 

 meters. 



lOOthsof Milli- 

 length. meters. 



looths of 

 length. 



Extreme length (exclnsive ••!' caudal) 



Leiiu r ili t" end of middle caudal rays 



Body: 



i lieu test height. - 



Greatest wi.lt li 



Height at ventrals 



Least height of tail 



Head: 



Greatest length 



Length of barbel 



Greatest width 



Width of interorbital area 



Length of snout 



Length of operculum 



Length of maxillary . 



Length of mandible 



Distance from snout to center of orbit. 



Diameter of orbit 



Dorsal (tirst): 



Distance from snout 



Length of base 



Length of tirst ray 



Length of second ray 



Length of third ray 



Length of fourth ray 



Length of last ray 



Dorsal (second) : 



Length of base 



Length of first ray 



Length of longest ray (40th) 



Length of last ray 



■J 12 

 280 



49 

 28 



39 



143 



KM 



128 



lis 



20 

 114 

 16 

 4 



30 



1 A critical study of the ventral fins of Phycis compels us to believe that the ventral fin is composed of 

 3 rays covered at the base with a thick skin in such manner as to obscure the third, short one, and to join 

 the other two so that they appear like a single bifid ray. In young individuals of Phycis ohuss, the third 

 ray has its extremity protruding from the sheath, though in adults it becomes entirely enveloped, thus giv- 

 ing rise to the false definitions which have been given for this genus. An adult specimen of Phycis furcutits 

 Flem. (No. 17371 of the National Museum collection), has the third ventral ray protruding. 



