REPORT ON THE DEEP-SEA FISHES. 53 



Ceratias bispinosus, n. sp. (PI. XI. fig. B). 



D. 1 I 1 I 6. A. 4. C. 9. P. 14. 



Similar in general appearance to Ceratias johnsonii, but the whole body covered 

 with minute prickles, giving a velvety appearance to the skin. The dentition is also 

 very similar, but the teeth in the upper jaw are less numerous and form a single series 

 only. The vomerine teeth form also a transverse series, but the teeth are not implanted 

 on an elevated ridge as in Ceratias johnsonii, and the series is inteiTupted in the middle. 

 Eye small ; a perforated nasal tube in front of the eye close to the base of the maxillary ; 

 each frontal bone is armed with a short conical spine situated above the eye. The upper 

 surface of the head is concave, and in the interorbital groove there are implanted the 

 two tentacles to which the anterior dorsal fin is reduced. The anterior is stout, half the 

 length of the head, terminating in a fleshy lentil-shaped knob, which is fringed along its 

 edges ; the second spine is rudimentary, situated immediately behind the first. Dorsal 

 and anal fins close to the caudal ; caudal half as long as the remainder of the fish, 

 composed of bifid rays, the rays of the other fins being simple. Base of the pectoral fin 

 enveloped in skin ; it is of moderate length, situated above the gill-opening. The whole 

 fish is brownish-black, with the exception of the vertical fins, which are white. 



Habitat. — Ofi' Banda Island, Station 194a; depth, 3G0 fathoms. One specimen, 3^ 

 inches lonsr. 



Gills two and a half. The top of the knob at the end of the dorsal tentacle encloses 

 a cavity which is covered by a smooth cornea-like membrane, very difierent from the 

 velvety integument of the body of the knob. The membrane is perforated on the left 

 side bj- a wade pore (fig. b). 



Ceratias holboelli. 



Ceratias IwlbiJUi, Krbyer, Nat. Hist. TiJsbkr., 1874, i. p. 639 ; and in Gaimanl, Voy. SkanJ. 

 Poiss., pi. ix. 

 „ „ Liitkon, K. clan.'jk. Vidcnsk. Selsk. Skriv., 1878, .\i. p. ."526 (skeL). 



D. 1 I 1 I 4. A. 4. C. 8. P. 19. 



Body rather compressed, short. Mouth subvertieal, of moderate width, with pro- 

 jecting mandible. Jaws armed with rasp-like dejjressible teeth of difi"erent lengths, in 

 several scries ; palatines and vomer toothless. Cephalic spine very long, as long as the 

 body, a short distal portion connected with the rest by a joint. A second long spine on 

 the back, with a dermal caruncle on each side. Skin with small scutes which are 

 separate from each other. Black. 



Three specimens, from 18 to 28 inches long, were obtained ofi" the coast of Greenland. 



