166 



134. Scopelengys tristis, Alcock. 



Scopelengys tristis, Alcock, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., October, 1890, p. 303 : Illustrations of the Zoology op 

 the Investigator, Fishes, pl. VII. fig. 7. 



B. 8. D. 12. A. 13. P. 15. V. 8. 



Head and body rather elongate, compressed. Eye situated high up, very 



small ; its major diameter is a little more than - the length of the snout, which 



is about j the length of the head, which is not quite 3 the total without the 



caudal. Mouth wide, its cleft very oblique, approaching the vertical, with the 

 lower jaw projecting in repose ; the maxilla, which is widely dilated behind, 

 measures more than half the length of the head ; the premaxilla is a stout bone, 

 firmly attached to the maxilla, which it equals in length. Acute villiform teeth, 

 in rather broad bands uncovered by the lips in the premaxilla? and mandible, 

 in narrow bands in the palatines, and in a small patch on each side of the head 

 of the vomer ; no teeth on the tongue. 



Gill-openings very wide ; gill-covers complete ; long close-set gill-rakers on 

 the first arch. Pseudobranchige rudimentary, consisting of three or four small 

 lamellae on each side. 



The dorsal fin begins above the origin of the ventrals ; the whole fin is 

 included in the anterior half of the body measured with the caudal. Adipose 

 dorsal rather large, fimbriated. The anal fin begins a little more than a snout- 

 length behind the .posterior limit of the dorsal. Caudal forked. Pectorals 

 entire, about as long as the maxilla, and reaching just beyond the origin of the 

 ventrals ; they arise close to the ventral profile. 



Eight large pyloric caeca. No air-bladder. 



Colour in the fresh state apparently uniform black throughout. 



One specimen, 6- inches in length, nearly mature. 



Arabian Sea, off the Laccadive Is., 1000 fathoms. 



Odontostomus, Cocco. 



Odontostomiis, Cooco, Lett su Alcun. Salmon , p. 32 : Giinther, Cat. Fishes, V. p. 417, and Challenger Deep- 

 Sea Fishes, p. 200: Ooode and bean, Oceanic Ichthyology, p. 121. 



Head compressed; body compressed, moderately elongate, naked. Snout 

 short. Cleft of the mouth very wide : premaxilla and maxilla slender, the 

 former with a series of small teeth of equal size : the lower jaw, the vomer and 

 the palatines with a few deprcssible fangs of enormous size. Eye large; the 

 orbit of great vertical depth and with a broad transparent membranous lateral 

 fold or wall. 



Gill-openings wide: no gill-rakers : eight branchiostegals. PseudobrancLme 

 avoII developed. 



