62 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



length of its base is about two-thirds that of the snout; its heiglit equal to the diameter of 

 the orbit. C'audal furcate. Pectoral long and strong, its length equal to the distance fmin 

 the tip of the snout to the posterior margin of the orbit, au<l about twice that of the man- 

 dible. The ventral is inserted under the middle of the base of the dorsal, the distance from 

 the posterior margin of the orbit equal to the distances of the latter from the snout. Color, 

 brownish. 



Radial formula: D. 1, 8; A. 1, 7; V. 9 or 10. 



The species is described from a specimen about 8 inches in length, obtained by the 

 steamer Blaise, at station Lii, oft' Barbadoes, in 15s fatlionis, 



Family BENTHOSAURID.^. 



Benthosaitrida; Gill, MS. 



Synodontoidea with well developed supramaxillaries widening backward and a])plied to 

 the dentigerous interniaxillaries; pectorals inserted near the shoulders, and very long 

 ventrals. {Oill.) 



BENTHOSAURUS, Goode and Bean. 

 Benthosaiirus, Goode and Bean, Bull. Mus. Coinp. Zoiil., xii, No. 5, 165. 



Body long, somewhat compressed, tapering into a slender, elongate, caudal peduncle. 

 Scales cycloid, of moderate size. Head slightly depressed; cleft of mouth wide, horizontal, 

 the lower jaw projecting at its extremity and anteriorly at the sides. The maxilla is long, 

 not stout, dilated posteriorly; the intermaxillary very long, styliforni, tapering, immovable. 

 The intermaxillary and mandible with bands of small teeth, of uniform size, interrupted at 

 the symphysis. A short oblong band of similar teeth on each side of the vomer, separated 

 by a rather wide interspace. Palate and tongue smooth. Eye very small, inconspicuous. 

 Gill opening extremely wide, the branchiostegal membrane free from the isthmus. Gill 

 rakers long and slender, numerous, about twice as many below the angle as above. Psen- 

 dobranchia^, absent. Branchio.stegals eleven. All the fins well developed; no adipose dor- 

 sal. Dorsal fin median, anal postmedian. ("audal forked, with lower lobe produced. 

 Ventral seven-rayed, inserted oi)posite the interspace between pectoral and dorsal, the outer 

 ray produced. 



Benthosaurus is closely allied to Bathysaiiriis and Bathiipterois. 



BENTHOSAURUS GRALLATOR, Goode and Bean. (Figure 73.) * 

 BenthosauruB grallator, Goode and Bean, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool.;Xii, No. 5, 168. 



Body elongate, somewhat compressed, depressed sliglitly forward, tapering behind into 

 a long slender tail, its greatest height contained 7i times in its standard length, and equal- 

 ing half the length of the head, its greatest width one-third the length of the head; its 

 height at the origiti of the anal, five-sixths of its greatest height. Least height of tail half 

 the height of the body at the ventrals. Length of caudal peduncle 6J times its least height. 



Scales very thin, cycloid, leathery, deciduous; oval in form, except at the base of the 

 dorsal and anal fins, where they become more elongate; the horizontal diameter of a scale 

 in the lateral line equals twice the diameter of the eye. The lateral line is straight, above 

 the median line anteriorly, becoming median on the caudal peduncle, the tube-bearing scales 

 being prominent, and about 55 iji number. Between the dorsal fin and the lateral line are 

 about nine rows of scales; between the latter and the anal fin, eight or nine rows. 



Head twice as long as the gTcatest height of the body, its length contained a little less 

 than 4 times in the standard body length, considerably depressed, scaleless except on the 

 vertex and the preoperculum. Operculum (perhaps accidentally) denuded. 



The snoat is much produced, almost equal to the width of the interorbital space, which 

 is convex. The maxilla extends far behind the posterior margin of the ej'e, its length equal- 

 ing that of the postorbital part of the head. The mandible projects beyond the upper jaw 

 to a distance .slightly more than the diameter of the orbit, and receives the snout within its 

 extremity when the jaws are closed. The teeth have been fully described in the generic 



