440 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



SCIANECTES, Alcock. (Figure 371.) 



Sciaiit-ctes, Alcock, Journal Asiatic- Society of Bengal, i.viii (n), 1889, 284; Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1890 

 (Nov.), 398, 1890 (H), 216; Bathj bial Fishes, Hay of Bengal, 27. 



Cleft of mouth narrow, the maxillary less than a third the length of the bead, denti- 

 tion more developed on blind side. Dorsal lin commencing before the eye. on the snout. 

 Body pyriform and delicate. Vomerine teeth. Eyes on the left side and close together. 

 All the rays of the vertical tins simple, elongated, weak, and filamentous. Scales minute, 

 membranous, and very decidous. Lateral line with a curve above the pectoral. Gill mem- 

 branes united at the throat, (iill rakers distant and short. 



Represented by two species, 8. lophoptera, Alcock. mouth of Devi River, 68 fathoms 

 (loc. cit.), and 8. macropththalmus, Alcock, from Bay of Bengal, 40 miles southwest of 

 Akyab, in about 100 fathoms of water [loc. cit., Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1890, n, 210), 

 and from station, 96, 98-102 fathoms. 



TRICHOPSETTA, Gill. 



Irichopsetta, Gill, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1888, 603. 



Psettines with the body oblong, rhombo-oval, covered with adherent ctenoid scales; 

 lateral line with au arch differentiated in front on eyed side, obscure but rectilinear on 

 blind side; profile incurved or rectilinear; mouth large; suprainaxillary bones obliquely 

 truncated behind; teeth small, somewhat enlarged and hooked in front, uniserial ; dorsal 

 and anal symmetrical behind, dorsal commencing on snout and deflected towards right 

 nostril; caudal subsessile and convex; pectorals very unequal, the left obtuse, the right 

 with the second and third rays extended and filiform; ventrals both free, very unequal; the 

 left tin on the abdominal ridge with a moderately broad base and G rays, the last of which 

 is attached by membrane to the ridge; the right tin with a narrower base (and in the males 

 with the inner 4 rays setiform, but in the female nearly similar to the left fin); inter- 

 branchial membrane imperforate; gill rakers slender and unarmed. 



TRICHOPSETTA VENTKALIS, (Goode and Bkan), Gill. (Figure 372.) 



Citharickthys ventralis, Goode and Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mas., vm, 1885, 592. 

 Tnehopsetta ventralis, Gill, toe. cit. 



Extreme length of specimen described, 117 millimeters. No. 37343, Gulf of Mexico, 

 Albatross station 2380, 60 fathoms. 



The height of the body (50 millimeters) is about 2 L times in its total length (without 

 caudal), and is equal to about 4i times the height of the tail (11) and about 9 times its 

 thickness (54). 



The scales are ovate, strongly ctenoid, the largest about 3 millimeters in diameter; the 

 diameter less than half that of the eye. The scales are firmly fixed; there are 06 scales in 

 the lateral line (on the colored side), 19-21 of these in the curved portion, which is bold and 

 sharply defined; and 19 above and 23 below the lateral line at broadest part of body. 



The length of the head (29 millimeters) is one fourth that of the body, and 3{j times the 

 diameter of the eye (8); the interorbital space is very narrow, scaleless, its width equal to 

 one-eighth diameter of eye. The length of mandible (10 millimeters) is twice the diameter 

 of the eye; the length of maxillary (13 millimeters) less than half that of head. 



The dorsal fin begins upon the snout, npon the blind side, and in advance of the. eyes; 

 its greatest height about equal to length of maadible. It is composed of 93 simple rays. 

 The anal begins under the axil of the pectoral, its longest ray (equal to longest in dorsal) 

 equals or slightly exceeds half the distance of its anterior ray from the snout. It is cum 

 posed of 73 simple rays. 



The caudal is subsessile. composed of 17 rays; its length (24 millimeters) a little less 

 than half the height of body, and equal to length of head without snout. 



The pectorals are inserted considerably below the origin of the lateral line, close to the 



