159 



half and reach at least as far as the adipose dorsal ; the other pectoral rays, 

 which are slender and rigid, reach at least as far as the vent. The ventral fins 

 are very large, their two outermost rays, which are very stout and stiff, are 



prolonged, being about 1- times to twice as long as the head. The two or three 

 lowermost rays of the forked caudal are prolonged, their length being at least 

 one-third that of the rest of the body. 



Colour black ; fins hyaline grey. 



Length of the adult female, h- inches. 



Arabian Sea, off the Laccadive Islands, 1140 fathoms. 



Eegd. Nos. 13187, 13188. 



128. Bathypterois atricolor, Alcock. 



Bathypterois atricolor, Alcock, Journ. As. Soc. Bengal, Vol. LXV. pt. 2, 1896, p. 306 : Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 

 Aug. 1898, p. 146: Illustrations of the Zoology op the Investigator, Pishes, pl. XVII. fig. 6. 



B. 12. D. 15. A. 10. P. 2/12. V. 9. L. lat. 52. L. tr. 15. 



Length of head a little more than one-fifth, height of body about one-eighth, 

 of total (without caudal). 



Length of snout a little more than one-third that of head, and a little more 

 than 5 times that of eye, equal to width of interorbital space. 



Few or no teeth on the vomer. 



The dorsal fin arises just behind the vertical through the base of the 

 ventrals, and nearly half its extent is in the anterior half of the body (measured 

 without caudal) : the anal arises just behind the level of the last dorsal ray : the 

 adipose fin is halfway between the end of the dorsal and the base of the caudal : 

 the lower caudal lobe is hardly prolonged. Upper two pectoral rays prolonged 

 at least as far as the end of the caudal fin, coherent in basal part but not fused : 

 outer two ventral rays thickened, unbranched, prolonged as far as 7th or 8th 

 anal ray, not quite half again as long as the head. 



Colours, uniform black, except the pectoral filaments. 



The ventral edge of the caudal peduncle is most curiously notched as in 

 B. dubius Vaillant, to which this species is closely related. 



Length, a little over 8 inches. 



Arabian Sea, near the Laccadives, Maldives, and C. Coinorin, 891, 459 and 

 824 fathoms. 



-n •, AT 62 166 



Eegd. JNos. yj — . 



