DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 335 



panded at its tip; its length (13 millimeters) more tbaii half that of head. Length of man- 

 dible (15 millimeters) equal to greatest height of body. Jaws, vomer, and palatines with 

 narrow bands of vlUiform teeth, none of which are enlarged. Gillrakers, 15 on anterior 

 arch below the angle, 3 rudiineutary ones above. 



The anterior pair of nostrils are nearly on top of the snout, and somewhat nearer to 

 its tip than to the eye, separated by a very narrow space, and placed immediately in front 

 of the middle of the eye. Behind each posterior nostril is a strong spine projecting out- 

 ward and backward. Pores of the head arranged nmch as in Ba.ssozeti(s. 



Scales minute. Lateral line not clearly to be made out. Three rows of minute pores 

 on each side dorsal, median, and ventral, beginning near the head and extending well to- 

 ward the extremity of the tail. 



Dorsal origin slightly behind vertical through pectoral base; its distance from the 

 snout (125 millimeters) nearly 6 times in length of body. Its rays are moderately long, the 

 longest about as long as the snout (one-fourth of head), and very numerous. 



Anal origin in vertical from twenty-second or twenty-third dorsal ray; its distance 

 from the snout (14 millimeters) 3 J times in length of body. Its rays about as long as those 

 of the din-sal. 



Tectoral imperfect, its length in the type equals one-half that of the head. 



Ventral a bihd filament, placed close to the humeral symphysis, well in advance of the 

 pectoral; its length (15 millimeters) equal to height of body. Distance from origin of ven- 

 trals to vent (22 millimeters) nearly ciiual to length of head, The ventral does not reach to 

 the vent by a distance equal to length of snout. 



Color, blackish brown. 



The type (No. 35G25, U. S. N. M.) is 153 millimeters in length; it is from Albatross 

 station 2230, N. lat. 38° 27', W. Ion. 73° 02', at a depth of 1,1G8 fathoms. 



PENOPUS, Goode and Bean, n. g. 



Body sfeout in front, tapering behind. Tail not greatly exceeding the length of the 

 rest of the fish. Head scaly, thick, its top surface flat, with depressed and moderately 

 projecting snout. A pair of minute postnasal spines; a strong and much curved spine on 

 the operculum; several weak spines at the angle of the preoperculum, and several at the 

 posterior angle of the suboperculum. Mouth moderately large, the lower jaw included. 



Several narrow slit-like pores along the margin of the preorbital and suborbital. 

 Two minute pores on the under surface of the mandible near its symphysis, and not far 

 behind them two long slitlilce pores. 



The anterior nostril is in a long slit, the posterior is larger, oblong in shape, and half 

 concealed by a fold of skin. Eye small. The teeth appear only as minute asperities; the 

 intermaxillary band nnxch wider in front than behind. Mandibulary band narrow through- 

 out. Vomerine band very narrow V-shaped, ralatiues in a long broad band. Gill-open- 

 ings wide, deeply rleit in front, narrowly joined to the isthmus. Branchiostegals 8. No 

 pscudobranchi*.. The gill-rakers are long and slender; not numerous. Gill-laminai moder- 

 ately long. A long slit behind the fourth gill. Scales very small. Lateral lines, three. 

 Caudal tin consisting of few rays, well differentiated from the dorsal and anal. Dorsal 

 beginning not far behind the head. Ventrals slightly in advance of the pectorals and 

 composed of two rays, united by membrane, which forms a margin around them. 



Pectoral normal; several of its upper rays simple. The vent is not much in advance 

 of the middle of the total length. 



This genus agrees with Forogadus in nearly every respect except in the scarcity of spines 

 on the head and in the structure of the ventrals. Forogndiis has the ventrals composed of 

 two distinct rays which are separated throughout their entire lengtb, but in Pcnopus the 

 two rays are inclosed in a membrane which connects them and forms a margin around 

 them. In Porof/ailus, also, the suboperculum has a smooth margin and the opercular spine 

 is weaker than in Fchoj)us, and it is not ciuved. 



