360 



DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



PHYCIS CHESTER:, Goode and Bean. (Figure 313.) 



Phycis Chesteri, Goode and Bean, Proc. IJ. S. Nat. Mus., i, 1878, 256; Cat. Fish. Essex Co. and Mass. Bay 

 1879, 8; Amer. Jour. Sci. and Arts, xvii, Jan., 1879, 40.— Goode, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., in, 337, 476.— 

 .Jordan and Gilbekt, Bull, xvi, U. S. Nat. Mus., 799. 



Head coutaiiied iu body (without caudal) 4J times, height of body 5 times. Diameter 

 of orbit in length of head 3.^ times, maxillary twice. Barbel about oiif-third of diameter of 

 orbit. Veut situated under llith ray of second dorsal, and ecjuidistaiit from tip of snout 

 and end of second dorsal. Distance of dorsal fin from snout erjual to twice the length of 

 the mandible; the third ray of the first dorsal is extremely elongate, extending to a point 

 (33d ray of second dorsal) two-thirds of the distance from snout to tip of caudal, its length 

 more than twice that of the head, and more than four times as long as the rays imme- 

 diately preceding and following it. Anal fin inserted immediately behind the vent, its dis- 

 tance from the root of the ventrals equal to that of the dorsal from the snout. As in the 

 other species of the genus,' the ventral is composed of 3 rays, the first two much pro- 

 longed. The first is contained three times in the length of the body, the second is almost 

 three times as long as the head, reaching to the 40th anal ray or | of the distance from 

 snout to tip of caudal; the third is shorter than the diameter of the orbit. 



The pectoral is four times as long as the operculum. Scales large and thin, e;isily 

 wrinkling with the folding of the thick, loose skin, particularly in the medi;in line of the 

 sides of the body. Lateral line much broken on the posterior half of the body. 



Scales 7, 90-91, 28. 



Kadial formula: D. 9 or 10, 55 to 57; A. 50; C. 5, 18 to 21, 5; V. 17-lS; Y. 3, 



table of measukements. 



Current number of specimen . 



Locality . 



21, 840. 



Trawl 174. 



42 miles E. } S., 

 Cape Ann, 140 

 liitljonis, Aug. 

 27, 1878. 



Milli- 

 meters. 



100th a (if 

 length. 



21,841. 

 Trawl 194. 



21, 842. 

 Trawl 194. 



33 miles E. hv S., Cape Ann, E. Pt., 



IIU fathoms, Au''. 31, 1878. 



Milli- 

 meters. 



lOOths of 

 length. 



Milli- 

 meters. 



lOOtha of 

 length. 



Extreme length (exclusive of caudal) 



Length to end of middle caudal raya 



Body : 



Greatest height 



Greatest width 



Height at ventrals 



Least height of tail 



Head : 



Greatest lergth 



Length of barbel 



Greatest width 



Width of iuterorbital area 



Length of snout 



Length of operenlum 



Length of maxillary 



Len;;tli of mandible 



Distaneo from snout to center of orbit. 



Diameter of orbit 



Dorsal (first) : 



Distance from snont 



Length of base 



Length of first ray 



Lengtli of second ray 



Length of third ray 



Length of fourth ray 



Length of last ray 



Dorsal (second) : 



Length of base 



Length of (irst ray 



Length of hmgest ray (40th) 



Length of last ray 



242 



280 



49 

 28 

 39 



50 



li 

 2!1 

 10 



143 

 106 



128 

 148 



20 

 llj 

 16 

 4 



23 



25 

 lis 

 4i 



15 



' A critical study of the ventral fins of Phycis compels us to believe tliat the ventral fin is composed of 

 3 rays covered at tlie base with a thick skin in .such manner as to obscure the third, short ouc, and to join 

 the other two so that they appear like a single bifid ray. In young individuahs of Pliycis thiiHn, the thinl 

 ray has its extremity protrndingfrom thoshe.ath, thoiiiih in adults it becomes entirely cuvdoped, thus giv- 

 ing rise to the false definitions which have been given for tliis genus. An adult 8i>ecimeu of Phycis J'lircatua 

 Flem. (No. 17371 of the National Museum collection), has tlie third ventral ray protruding. 



