264 DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF AUSTRALIAN FISHES, 



Family XIII. ALEPOCEPHALIDiE. 



Body covered with thin cycloid scales ; head naked ; barbels 

 none. Margin of the upper jaw formed by the intermaxillaries 

 and mamillaries, the former being placed along the upper anterior 

 edge of the latter. Opercular apparatus complete. Adipose fin 

 none ; the dorsal fin belongs to the caudal portion of the vertebral 

 column. Stomach curved, without blind sac ; pyloric appendages 

 in moderate number. Pseudobranchia> ; air-bladder absent. 

 Gill-openings very wide. 



Genus Alepocepiialus, Bisso. 



Body oblong, compressed ; cleft of the mouth of moderate width 

 with the jaws nearly even in front ; a series of small teeth on ihe 

 intermaxillaries, mandibles and palatine bones. Dorsal and anal 

 fins subequal in length, opposite to each other; caudal emarginate. 

 Bones thin. Gill-membranes entirely separate, with six branchi- 

 ostegals. 



Deep sea Fishes. 



906. Alepocepiialus niger, Gunth. 



Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1878, Vol. II., p. 218. 



D. 21. A. 27. 

 Scales small. The length of the head is one-third of che total 

 length without the caudal fin. Snout projecting beyond the 

 mouth. Black. 



North of Australia, 1,400 fathoms (Challenger). 



Family XIV. SYMBPANCHIDiE. 



Body elongate, naked or covered with minute scales ; barbels 

 none. Margin of the upper jaw formed by the intermaxillaries 

 only, the well developed maxillaries lying behind and parallel to 

 them. Paired fins none. Vertical fins rudimentary, reduced to 

 more or less distinct cutaneous folds. Vent situated at a great 



