146 



Synopsis of the Indian genera of Stomiatidse. 



I. Pectorals present : hyoid barbel free : skin mapped out into subhexagonal 



areolffi : teeth on tbe palatines and vomer ... ... ... Stomias. 



II. Pectorals rudimentary : skin perfectly smooth and scaleless : hyoid barbel 



attached to tbe mandibular symphysis : no teeth on the palate ... Malacosteps. 



III. Pectorals absent : skin perfectly smooth and scaleless : hyoid barbel 



attached to the mandibular symphysis : teeth on the palatines ... Photostomias. 



Stomias, Cuv., Gthr. 



Stomias, Cuvier, Regne Animal, Poiss. p. 232: Giinther, Cat. Fishes, V. p. 426: Goode and Bean, Oceanic 

 Ichthyology, p. 107 : Jordan and Evermann, Fishes of N. Araer. p. 588. 



Body low, elongate, compressed, vent situated at no great distance from the 

 caudal fin. Skin with subhexagonal impressions in which deciduous scarcely- 

 imbricate scales may be present. Head compressed, with the snout very short 

 and the mouth-cleft oblique and very wide. Teeth pointed, unequal in size, 

 those of the premaxilla and mandible the longest ; maxilla finely denticulated : 

 vomer with a pair of fangs : palatines and tongue with smaller pointed teeth. 

 Eye of moderate size. A fleshy barbel in the centre of the hyoid region. 

 Opercle narrow, incomplete. 



Dorsal opposite the anal, close to the caudal. Pectorals and ventrals 

 narrow, the ventrals situated very far back in the posterior third of the body. 

 No adipose dorsal. 



Series of phosphorescent dots along the lower side of the head body and tail. 



An air-bladder. No pyloric appendages. 



Distribution : North Atlantic and West Indies ; Atlantic gate of Medi- 

 terranean ; Mediterranean ; Arabian Sea. 



Key to the Indian species of the genus Stomias. 



I. Height of the body about a twelfth of the total length (with caudal) ... S. nebulosus. 



II. Height of the body about a sixteenth of the total length (with caudal) ... S. elongatus. 



119. Stomias nebulosus, Alcock. 



Stomias nebulosus, Alcock, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Dec. 1889, p. 451. Illustrations of the Zoology of the 

 Investioator, Fishes, pl. VII. fig. 1. 



This species may prove to be identical with the West Indian S. afflnis. 



D. 17. A. 21. P. 6. V. 5. 



Length of the head one-ninth, height of the body one-twelfth of the total. 

 Snout shorter than the large eye. 



