56 



Colours in spirit, dark sepia mottled with black. 



Three specimens, tlie largest 5^ inches long, from off Colombo, 143 and 142 



to 400 fathoms. 



Regd. Nos. 13467, ™, ™. 



This species is distinguished from L. nmtilus by the smaller eye, and by the 

 second portion of the spinous dorsal fin, which consists of a single filament. In 

 one of the specimens this filament is not present, or any trace of it. 



Ceratias, Kroyer. 



Ceratias, Kroyer, Natnrhist. Tidsskr. 1844-45, p. 639 : Giinther, Cat. Fishes, III. p. 205 and Challenger Deep 

 Sea Fishes, p. 52. 



Ceratias, Diceratias, Mancalias, Typhlopsaras, Cryptopsaras, Gill : Goode and Bean, Oceanic Ichthyology, pp. 

 488^19 L (subgenera). 



Ceratias and Mancalias (p. 2729), Cryptopsaras (p. 2731), Jordan and Evermann, Fishes of N. America, 

 Vol. III. 



Head enormous, body and tail short ; both often elevated and compressed. 

 Skin with minute scutes or prickles. Mouth very large, approaching the 

 vertical, the mandible projecting. Depressible teeth of unequal size in the 

 jaws and sometimes on the vomer. Eyes small. 



Gills two and a half. No pseudobranchia?. 



Spinous dorsal reduced to one or two spines, which are generally modified 

 into tentacles. Soft dorsal and anal short. 



Yentrals absent. 



Distribution : Arctic and North Atlantic : Seas of India and Archipelago 

 Japanese Seas. 



Subgenus Diceratias. 



Two dorsal spines situated on the anterior part of the head. Vomerine 

 teeth present. No pyloric appendages. 



35. Ceratias (Diceratias) Mspinosus, Giinther. 



Ceratias hispinosus, Giinther, Challenger Deep Sea Fishes, p. 53. Alcock, Illustrations of the Zoology 



OF THE INVESTIGATOB, FlSHES, PL. XXXV. FIG. 2. 



D. I.I. 6. A. 4. C. 9. P. 14. 



The height of the body, when the stomach is empty, is about half the total, 

 caudal included. 



Head much larger than the body and tail combined. Each frontal bone with 

 a strong outstanding spine, situated above and behind the eye. 



