176 



palatines uniserial, incurved ; those in the vomer recurved, in a group of two or 

 three on each side. Tongue large, toothless. 



Gill-openings very wide ; gill-membranes entirely separate ; gill-covers large, 

 complete ; gill-rakers on the first arch close-set, finely pointed, and as long as 

 the eye ; fourth gill-cleft rather wide ; gill-laminas very narrow, the individual 

 lamella3 extremely delicate. Pseudobranchiae large. 



Head naked ; body covered with deciduous scales of moderate size. The 

 lateral line runs straight along the middle of the body. 



The dorsal fin begins almost in the vertical through the origin of the vent- 

 rals, which are situated a snout-length behind the middle of the body measured 

 without the caudal. The anal fin begins two rows of scales behind the last 

 dorsal ray. Pectorals and ventrals well developed, broad, fragile. 



Stomach very large, with thick walls thrown into deep longitudinal folds. 

 Intestine coiled in a spiral ; ten very large pyloric casca in a bunch. 



Colours in the fresh state : — head, iris, body, fins, inside of mouth and gill- 

 chamber, and entire peritoneum, deep black. 



Two female specimens, measuring respectively 13- and 9^ inches. 



Both, when brought on board, were in a curious state of cataleptic rigor. 



Arabian Sea, near Laccadive Is., 740 fathoms. 



Regd. Nos. 12870, 12871. 



Platytroctes, Giinther. 



Platytroctes, Giinther, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 1S78, II. p. 249 : and Challenger Deep-Sea Fishes, p. 229 : Goode 

 and Bean, Oceanic Ichthyology, p. 45 : Jordan and Evermanu, Fishes N. Amer., p. 458. 



Body rather abbreviated and elevated, much compressed, covered with small 

 scales many of which are keeled. Head naked. Mouth of moderate width : a 

 single series of small teeth in premaxilla, maxilla and mandible : a few (two in 

 the only known species) teeth on the vomer. Eye large. 



Gill-opening wide : six branchiostegals. Gills very narrow : pseudobranchio? 

 present : gill-rakers long, lanceolate. 



The dorsal and anal fins, which are in the posterior half of the body, are 

 equal, opposite, and of moderate length. Caudal forked. No adipose dorsal. 



Pectorals small. Each clavicle ends below in a long freely projecting spine, 

 which is fused with its fellow except perhaps at tip. 



No ventrals. 



Pyloric appendages rudimentary. 



Distribution : Atlantic ; Arabian Sea. 



