464 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



lower anterior rays thickened, entirely free from each other and from the fin ; ventrals i, 

 5, wide npiut, with a flat space between them, the inner rays longest. Pyloric C(Pca in 

 moderate nnniber; air-bladder generally with lateriil mnscles and div'ided into two lateral 

 parts; vertebrpe 10 or 11 + 15. (Jordan and Gilbert.) 



PRIONOTUS MILITAKIS. Goonic an.l Rban, n. n. (Figures 380, 384.) 



The type of the description is a specimen measuring 123 millimeters with the caudal. 

 The length without the caudal, which is the standard of comi)arison, is {>5 millimeters. 

 The body is short and stout, its greatest lieight (30 millimeters) nearly one-third of the 

 standard length; its greatest width at the base of the pectorals (23 millimeters) is nearly 

 one fourth of the standard length. The least height of the tail (9 millimeters) is <'qual to 

 the long diameter of the eye. The head is short, the suont abruptly descending and with 

 two rather long diverging sjiinous ])rocesses at its tip. The orbits are much elevated, the 

 spines very large, and the jaws are small. The greatest length of tlie head, measured 

 horizontally (33 nullimeters), is about one-third of the standard length. The distance 

 measured obliquely from the tip of the rostral spine to the edge of the opercular tl;ip (39 

 millimeters) is two-tifths of the standard length. liearly all the spines of the head and 

 the exposed edges of the preorbital, mandible, and opercles are minutely serrate. The 

 diverging spines upon the snout are themselves armed along the margin by numerous 

 spinules. The length of the eye (9 millimeters) equals the width of the interorbital area. 

 The snout (14 millimeters) is more than one-third the length of the head. A strong spine 

 on the preopercle, with a secondary spine at its base. The spine on the preopercle is as 

 long as the snout. A stout spine on the operculum, another in the liunun-al region, another 

 on the nape extending backward to the base of the fourth dorsal spine. Teeth in the jaws 

 and on the vomer and palate very small, in villiform bands. The length of the maxilla 

 (10 millimeters) is a little greater than that of the eye. The length of the mandible (12 

 millimeters) is a little less than that of the snout — it reaches about to the vertical from 

 the front of the eye. There is a furrow across the nape immediately behind the eyes. 

 Nine developed gill rakers on the anterior arch, besides several rudiments; all of the gill 

 rakers very short. Pseudobranchiie present. Branchiostcgals 7. The distance of the 

 dorsal from the tip of the snout (39 millimeters) is two-fifths of the standard length. 

 The first two spines are very much i)rodnced; the length of the first (85 millimeters) is 

 almost equal to the standard length; the length of the second (87 millimeters) is slightly 

 greater than that of the first. The short spine (23 millimeters) is about twice as long as 

 the mandible. When the dorsal spines are fully extended they reach nearly to the tip of the 

 caudal. The anterior margins of the first three spines are minutely serrated, the serrations 

 being in several rows. The longest ray of the soft dorsal (17 millimeters) is about one-half 

 as long as the head. The length of the middle caudal rays (25 millimeters) equals the 

 length of the anal base. The caudal is slightly emarginate. The length of the pectoral 

 (51 millimeters) is a little more than one- half of the standard length. The longest sepa- 

 rate ray of the pectoral is about IJ times as long as the shortest; its length equal to that 

 of the middle caudal rays. The length of the ventral spine (14 millimeters) is one half 

 the length of the longest ventral ray (2S millimeters). The ventral when extended 

 reaches to the third ray of the anal. The longest anal ray (IG millimeters) is about one- 

 half as long as the lu^ad. The scales are very rough; they are in about 7 rows between the 

 origin of the second dorsal and the lateral line, and 19 rows below the lateral line. The 

 lateral line contains about 40 tubes, and the number of rows of scales counted obliquely is 

 about 55. 



D. X, 11; A. I, 9; P. 12+3; V. I, 5. 



Color in life, rosy; head and pectoral, speckled with dark brown; C or 7 small dark 

 blotches on the upper edge of the pectoral. Some specimens have the inner surface of the 

 pectoral dark on its lower half In one sjiecimen the dark blotches on the pectoral are 

 grouped into four half bands, of which the middle two are very small. 



This species is represented by (i individuals from station 23G2 of the steamer Albatross; 



