30 THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 



The pectoral is as long as the head, and more than twice as long as the ventral, which 

 does not quite reach to the vent. Black. 



Habitat. — Four specimens are known to have been obtained in the Central Atlantic: — 

 at a dcpthof 855 fathoms, in lat. 41° 40' N., long. 65° 35'; at a depth of 1022 fathoms, 

 in lat. 39° 44' N., long. 71° 4'; at a depth of 1497 fathoms, in lat. 37° 41' N.,long. 73° 3'; 

 and one at a depth of 2949 fathoms. 



Melamphaes suhorhitalis. 



Plectromus suborbilalis, Gill, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 1884, vol. vL p. 258. 



D3 A 1 



Elongate like the two preceding species. Black. 



Habitat. — One specimen is known from the Central Atlantic, obtained by the United 

 States S.S. " Albatross," at a depth of 1735 fathoms, in lat. 38° 52' N., long. 69° 24'. 



Malacosarcus, n. gen. 



Head large and thick, with the bones very thin, and with wide and deej) mucifcrous 

 cavities; also the canal along the lateral line is much distended. Cleft of the mouth 

 wide, obliquely descending backwards, with the jaws nearly equal in front. A narrow 

 band of villiform teeth in both jaws; palate toothless. Eight branchiostegals, pseudo- 

 branchiae present. The edges of the prasoperculum and the lower edge of the mandible 

 with minute and distant spines. Scales extremely thin, not sculptured, deciduous, 

 irregular, and of moderate size. One dorsal; caudal emarginate, with broad basal fold 

 above and below; anal sjjines very feeble. Ventrals small, five-rayed, inserted at some 

 distance behind the pectorals. Gills four; gUl- laminae short; gill-rakers long, needle- 

 shaped. 



Although this fish is only a degraded form of Melamphaes, it will be better to make 

 it the type of a distinct genus, as otherwise the generic definition of Melamphaes would 

 lose much in precision. 



Malacosarcus macrostoma. 



Scopelus macrostoma, Giinth., Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1878, vol. ii. p. 186. 



B. 8. D. 13. A. 13. P. 10. V. 5. 



The body is liighcst where it joins the head, and rather rapidly becomes lower 

 towards the tail ; its greatest dejjth is rather more than one-fourth of the total 

 length (without caudal), the length of the head one-third. Head thick, with the snout 



