302 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF TUE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



A resident of the deep waters in L'OO to 400 fathoms on the offshore banks. Many 

 specimeus have been received from the halibut schooners, and it has been taken in 100 

 fathoms off Fiumark. 



Tlie Albatfus.s obtained it from station 2120, in 42'^ 55' 30" N. lat., 5{)o 51' W. h)ng., at 

 a deptli of 471 fathoms, and the National Museum has a specimen (Oat. No. 21845) taken 

 by one of the Gloucester fishing vessels in 1878 on the fishing-banks. 



Family PTILICHTHYID^E. 



rtilichthyina;, Jordan and Gilbert, Bull, xvi, U. S. Nat. Mus., 369 (subfamily of Mastacembelidw). 

 rtilichthiiida; Gill, Standard Nat. Hist., viii, 1885, 259; Century Dictionary, 4827. 



Acanthopterygians with very elongate, anguilliform body, tapering to a jjoint; small 

 bead, mouth oblique, with projecting lower jaw; branchial apertures restricted ; dorsal very 

 long, with about 00 spines and 145 rays; anal long and veutrals absent. Scales none. 

 Gill-membranes broadly united. 



PTILICHTHYS, Bean. 



rtiUchlhys, Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., iv, 1881, 157 (typo, PtUichthys (loodci, Bean). — Jordan and (Jilheut, 

 Bull. XVI, U. S. Nat. Mus., 369. 



Body elongate, serpentiform, apparently covered with very thin, scattered scales. 

 Mandible little movable, projecting, with a skinny appendage at tip. Cleft of the mouth 

 narrow. Minute teeth in a single series in the jaws, becoming larger and slightly curved 

 posteriorly. Margin of the upper jaw formed entirely by the intermaxillarics. Maxilla 

 curved forward below. The gill-opening extends up to the middle of the base of the pec- 

 toral; the membrane is slightly emarginate behind and is free from the isthnms; 4 gills, a 

 slit behind the fourth. Gill-rakers stout and short, moderate in number. Spinous portion 

 of the dorsal consisting of many isolated si)ines, a narrow membrane behind each. Soft 

 dorsal and anal with many rays. End of the tail free. Ventrals none. 



The type species, rfilichthys Goodel (Figure .304), was taken near the Aleutian Islands. 

 Everything seems to indicate that it is an inhabitant of deep water. 



Family ZOARCID^E. 



Zoarchidw, Swainson, Nat. Hist, and Class. Fislies, 1839, ii, 184, 283. 



Zoarcida', Gill, Mem. National Acad. Sci., VI, 1893. 



Lycodidw, GOntiiek, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., iv, 1862, 319. — Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., iv, 319; vji. vit. 



1884, 179.— Jordan and Gilbert, Bull, xvi, U. S. Nat. Mus., 783. 

 Lycodoidn; Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. .Sci., Phila., 1863, 255. 



Physoclystons fishes having body elongate, more or less anguilliform, naked or studded 

 with minute cycloid scales. Head large, unarmed; mouth large, with conical teeth in jaws, 

 and .sometimes on vomer and palatines. Gill-membranes broadly united to isthmus, 

 bi'anchial apertures lateral, not continent; pseudobranchiic present; gills 4, a slit behind 

 the fourth. Dorsal and anal fins elongate, confluent around the tail, of soft rays only, or the 

 former with a few posterior SI )ines covered with a thick skin; pectorals small; ventrals 

 jugular, rudimentary or suppressed. Lateral line obsolete or nearly so. Gill-rakers small; 

 pyloric caeca rudimentary ; vent not close to head. 



key to the SUBFA.MILIES AND GENERA OV ZOARCIDiE. 



I. Dorsal tin low behind, some of its posterior rays short and spino-like ; ventrals small Zoarciiiw 



A. Scales present ; teeth stron;;, conic, in jaws only [Zoarces] 



II. Dorsal liu continuous Lyiodiniv 



A. Ventral tins present. 



1. Vomer and palatines toothed. 

 a. Scales present. 



I. Body moderately elongate Lycodes 



II. Body very elongate. 



* Spines of vertical (ins normal Lycenciielys 



** Spines laterally reenforced Lycodonus 



