494 1)EEP-.SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC liASIN. 



This species lias never been lully described, the only existing example being an imper- 

 fect one, 23 inches long, obtained off the coast of Greenland about 1837. 



CORYNOLOPHUS, Gill. 



Corijiiolophus, Gill, I'roc U. S. Nat Mus., i, 1878, 227; v, X883, 5D1.— (Li tkkn, Nidc-iisk. Me.ld Ira dou Natiu- 

 hist. Foren., I'openbagen, 1879-'80, 67, 08.) 



Ceratiids resembling Himantolophux but having (lu' body short oval; dorsal with ."> rays; 

 pectoral with about 7. 



J)r. Gill, replying to certahi strictures as to the validity of tins genus, made by Liitkeu, 

 states that the distinction alleged to exist between Hhunntnloiihus and Coti/iioloithiisuw. 

 very marked, and (juite sulUcient to justify two genera. He forcibly remarks that there is 

 no reason except the niiujuUirlty and t/rmtnes.s, of the differences si)ecified, for doubting the 

 correctness of Eeinhardt's observations. 



CORYNOLOPHUS KEINHARDTII, (LOtken), Gill. 



Hima)itoJ<iphii» Itimhiirdtii, LUTKliN, K. Dau.sk. Vidi-usk. Sclsk., 1880, :«•, iils. I, ii, lif;«. 1-1.— Gt'NTHEU, 



Jordan, lov. cit. 

 Coriinoliiphiis lUiiihunllli, Gill, I'roc. U. S. Nat. Mus., i, 1878, 227; v, 1883, .5.51. 



The body is .short oval, its height threefonrths its length. The dor.sal tin has 5 rays, 

 the ijectoral 17. Tlie cephalic ray is provided with about 8 tentacles. The body armed 

 with prickly scales, s[)aringly distributed. 



A single .specimen. It inches long, is known from the coast of Greenland. 



/EGEONICHTHYS, Clarke. 

 ^geonichlhijs, Clarke, Trans. New Zialaiul Institute, x, 1878, 24.").— Gill, Prop,. IT. S. Nat. Mus., i, l.'i78, 227. 



Ceratiids with body and lieail depressed, mouth with the cleft vertical, or inclined for- 

 ward, and mandibular articulation under, or in advance of snout. {Gill.) 



This is a form clo.sely allied to Ilimnntolophiis, and excelling it in grotes(|ueness. It 

 is represented by a single si)ecics, ^1. ^jjja///, Clarke {tor. cit., p. -'!•">, pi. vi), obtained in 

 the deep sea off New Zealand. Giinther gives interesting details about the head of the 

 cephalic sjiine, whicli is phospliorescent and a lure for other abyssal animals. (See Chal- 

 lenger lieport, XXII, pp. 51, 'I'J.) 



MELANOCETUS, Giinther. 



Melanoeetus, GiJNTHER, Proc. Zool. Soi:. Loudon 1864,301 (type, .V. JoliHuoiiii, (il'NTnKi;) ('liallin;;er IJiiiort, 

 XXII, 56. — Gill, lor. cU. 

 Ceratiids with naked skin; willi very large moiitii, Iniving a siib\i'iti<al cleft; witii no 

 second dorsal spine ; with liranchial arches unarmed and Inaiicliial in 'ZK [lairs. 



MELANOCETUS JOHNSONII, Giinther. (Figure 406.) 



Mclanocrlut .Minsoiiii, GiiNTIlER, Proc. Zool. Soc. Loudon. 1.S61, 301, pi. 2.").— Study ol' Fishes, 1880, 473, fig. 

 211; Challenger Report, xxii, .57.— Gill, toe. cit. 

 A single specimen, 3.8 iiuihes long, is known. It was obtained by Jlr. Johnson at 

 IMadeira, and had, it is said, a tScopeliis 7.J inches long and 1 inch high, rolled up in a ball 

 in its stomach. 



" This singular tish," says Giinther, "is distinguished by a greater disproj)orti(Ui of the 

 various parts of its body than is found in the other genera, of the family to which it belongs. 

 The head is of tetrahedral form and is the most extensive part of tlie wliole animal. The 

 gape is enormous, and, although tlie lower Jaw is vertical when the mouth is closed, it can 

 be moved downwards at more than a riglit angle. The lateral extensibility of the mcmth 

 is not less than the vertical, so that the prey which can be received within the cavity of 

 the mouth actually may exceed the size of the tish itself. This einumous head is followed 

 by a very small trunk and tail, the length of both being less than the deiitli of the head. 

 As the trunk would not offer sullicient room for an tuldominal cavity corresiiondiug in size 



