328 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



The nostrils ire small, the anterior as close to the sijout as the posterior ones are to 

 the eyes. No apparent cirri. The scales are niinnte; the lateral line is obsolete on the last 

 lonrth of the length of the body. 



The dorsal origin is behind that of the ventral and pectoral; its distance from the 

 suont (2i millimeters) is contained 3| times in length of the body. The height of the 

 fin is moderate; the longest ray is contained about 3 times in the length of the head. 



The anal origin is under the eightee'ith ray of the dorsal; rhe licight of the tin about 

 equals that of the dorsal. The vertical tins are not connate with the caudal, which consists 

 i)f 12 or 13 very slender rays, its length nearly equal to half that of head. 



The pectoral with a broad ba?e, close to gill-oi)ening, its length nearly two-thirds that 

 of tiie head. 



The ventral a single bifid ray, inserted in advance of the vertical through the base of 

 Khe pectorals, and not far from the luimeral symjjhysis. It reaches nearly half-way to the 

 vent, the distance of which from the origin of the ventral is equal to the length of the head.' 



Color, yellowish brown. 



The type of this species, a specimen 88 millimeters in length, was taken by the Blake 

 from station xoiv, oft' Moro Castle, Cuba, at a depth of from 250 to 400 fathoms. A col- 

 lateral type specimen (Cat. No. 29057, U. S. N. M.) was obtained by the Fish Hank from 

 station 1*043, in 38° 39' N. lat., 73° 11' W. Ion., at a depth of 130 fathoms. 



BENTHOCOMETES MURiENOLEPIS, (Vaillant), Goode and Bean. 



Sirembo mura'noJepia, Vaillant, Exp. Sci. Tiav. et Talisman, 273, pi. xxiii, Fig. 4, 4a. 



This species does not appear to be very unlike the preceding, but without examination 

 of the tyiie we hesitate to pronounce it identical. 



Two specimens were obtained by the French explorers at station lxix, off the coast of 

 Soudan, in 4:10 meters. 



BASSOGIGAS, Gill. 

 liassogigas, Gill, MS. 



Iji'otulids having the body elongate, compressed, covered with a thick, lie;ivy skin, 

 which upon tlie head covers and obscures all the angles of the skull. Scales small, cover- 

 ing body and head completely. Lateral line indistinct for the greater ])art of its course, but 

 apparently extending at least two-thirds of the way from the operculum to the tail. Eye 

 moderate. Vertical fins completely united ; ventrals a pair of bifid filaments inserted behind 

 the humeral symphysis, aud remote at their bases, short, rather stout. Snout without 

 barbels, slightly produced, the lower jaw being barely included. Villiform teeth in the 

 jaws, on the vomer and palatines; vomerine patch V shaped, but with its arms broadly 

 expanded and thicker at the angle, so that it is almost triangular. Oi)erculum with a long, 

 sharp spine; preoperculum unarmed. Brauchiostegals eight. Air-bladder present. Pseu- 

 dobranchiai small. 



B.pterotus (Ah-ock) — NeohytJiites plerotus (Alcock, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 18S9, ii, 

 210) is characterized by long feathery i)eduncles reaching beyond the vent. One .specimen 

 was taken by the Inventigator at station 97, in the Bay of Bengal, at a de]>th of 1 ,310 fathoms. 



Neohythites strllifcroidcs, Gilbert, obtained by the Albatross in 712 fathoms ofithe west 

 coast of Lower California, is ijcrhajis not remotely related to this genus. 



BASSOGIGAS GILLII, Goode and Be.oj, u. s. (Figure 2!)1.) 



Headrather short and broad, with snout slightly overlapi)ing the lower jaw. Diameter 

 of the eye scarcely one-third of the length of the snout, and about one-twelfth of tliat of the 

 head; the maxillary extending far behind the eye, the vertical from the anterior margin 

 of the orbit nearly bisecting it; its length half that of the head, and its posterior margin 

 ending in a broad, triangular dilation. Teeth normal. Anterior and posterior nostrils 



' In one of the Albatross specimeus the pectoral extends to the vertical from the eighth ray of the 

 second dorsal. 



