490 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



paullo modo brevior. Longitudo pinnae caudalis lanceolate dimidia totiuspiscis longitadine 

 parum brevior; lougitudo pinnae pectoralis vicesimam ferine aequans longitudinis totius 

 piscis partem. Membrana conjungens pinnae dbrsalis posterioris pinnaeque analis ad basin 

 pinnae caudalis fere extensa. Numerus rad. pin. dors. 1-f 1 + 4; pect. 19; anal, t; caud. 8. 



MANCALIAS, Gill. 



Mancalias, Gill, Proc. 1". S. >,'at. Mns.. i. 1878, 227 [type, Ceratias uranoscopus, Murray]. — Jordan ami (Jil- 



bert, Hull, xvi, U. S. Nat. Mns.. 848.— Gunther, Challenger Rep., xxn, 52. 

 Typhlopsaras, Gill, Forest ami Stream, 1883, 284 (Nov. 8).— Jordan, Cat. Fish. North America, lss:., 138. 



Ceratiids with elongated trunk and rectilinear back; month moderate; cephalic spine 

 with basal element exserted and continuous with the distal: pyloric cceca developed (2); 

 mouth with cleft sub vertical; first dorsal with few rays; branchiae in i'.j pairs; branchial 

 arches unarmed ; skin with scattered spinigerous scutellse; no second dorsal spine devel 

 oped (as in Ceratias), but with two fleshy claviform tubercles existing, as in Ceratias; 

 pectorals with about 10-15 slender rays instead of nearly 20, as in Ceratias. (Gill.) 



MANCAJOIAS URANOSCOPUS, (Murray), Gill. 



Ceratias uranoscopus, Murray, in Thomson's Voyage of the Challenger, 1878, n. 67. Figure 20. — Gunther, 



Challenger Report, xxh, 54, pi. xi, Fig. c. 

 Mancalias uranoscopus, Gill, loc. tit. — Goode, Proc. LI. s. Nat. Mas., m, 1880, 169. 

 Ceratias Hblbollii Gunther in Bradys Repori in Challenge] Copepoda, lss:;, 137. 



Mancalias was first taken by II. M. S. Challenger, at a depth of 2,400 fathoms, in the 

 Middle Atlantic, between the Canary and Cape Verde Islands. The specimen, -'<\ inches 

 Ions', and indifferently preserved, is in the British Museum. 



The specimen is '.)(» millimeters in length from the snout to the end of the tail, com 

 pressed laterally, and of a uniform black color. The anterior spine of the first dorsal tin is 

 produced into a long filament, ending in a pear-shaped bulb, terminating in a very distinct, 

 semitransparent, whitish spot. This spine has its origin on the posterior portion of the 

 bead, and when laid hack it reaches nearly to the tip of the tail. The second pari of the 

 first dorsal is placed far back on the body, and consists of 1' short, fleshy tubercles, which 

 lie in a depression in front of the second dorsal tin. The second dorsal has.", rays; the anal 

 is opposite the second dorsal and has I rays; the caudal has M rays, the 1 central rays being 

 much larger than the others, and bifid. The pectorals are small and have 1" very delicate 

 rays. The gill opening is a slit situated below the pectoral tin. The upper jaw is formed 

 by the intermaxillaries, and is armed, together with the lower jaw, with a series of teeth of 

 moderate size, which can be depressed inward as in Lophiits. The skin is thickly covered 

 with minute, embedded, conical spines. The eyes are very small and are placed high up on 

 the middle of the head. 



The presence of a lish of this group a1 so great a depth is of special interest. From 

 its structure, and from the analogy of its nearest allies, there seems to be no reasonable 

 doubt that it lives on the bottom, it is the habit of many of the family to lie hidden in the 

 mud, with the long dorsal filament and its terminal soft expansion exposed. It has been 

 imagined that the expansion is used as a bait to allure its prey, but it seems more likely 

 that it is a sense organ, intended to give notice of their approach. 



MANCALIAS SHUFELDTII, Gill. (Figure 401.) 



Typhlopsaras Shufeldti, Gill, Forest ami Stream, New York, Nov. 8, 1883, 284.— Jordan, Cat. Fish. North 



America, lss:,, 138, 

 Ceratias Shufeldti, Gunther, Challenger Report, xxn. 54. 



The specimens of Mancalias obtained in the Western Atlantic are two in number. 



A single specimen, No. 26159, 85 millimeters Ions', was taken October 2, L880, at sta- 

 tion No. 893, at a depth of 372 fathoms. (Goode, Proc. I. S. Nat. .Mas., in, 419.) 



The type of Typhlopsaras Shu/eldtii (No. 33552, U. S. Nat. Mus.), has the maxilla one- 

 third the length from the sill opening to the caudal base; the iiitermaxilla is contained 3i 



