REPORT ON THE DEEP-SEA FISHES. 143 



obsolete. Teeth in villiform bands ia both jaws. Barbel very small and slender. Angle 

 of the prseoperculum not produced backwards ; hind margin crescent-shaped. The skin 

 is densely studded with erect spines, which give to the body and head the appearance of 

 being covered with short villosities. A series of stronger spines runs along each side of 

 the base of the second dorsal and anal fins. The second dorsal spine is very slender, 

 smooth, much shorter than the head; the second dorsal fin very low, commencing 

 immediately behind the first. The ventral fin reaches to the anal ; its outer ray produced 

 into a very short filament. Space between ventral fins and vent scaleless; the distance 

 between vent and isthmus less than the length of the head. 



Habitat. — South of Yeddo, Station 232; depth, 345 fathoms. One specimen, 

 8 inches long. 



South of the Philijjpine Islands, Station 214; depth, 500 fathoms. One specimen, 

 10 inches long. 



Subgenus Cetonurus. 



Macrurus crassiceps (PI. XXXVII.). 



Coryphamoides crassiceps, Giinth., Ana. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1878, vol. ii. p. 25.^ 

 D. 10. P. 16. V. 10. 



Head exceedingly large and thick, especially the anterior portion. Snout with an 

 anterior naso-rostral canthus, excessively broad and high, shoi-t, but longer than the eye, 

 which is small and not quite one-fifth of the length of the head. Mouth small, inferior, 

 extending beyond the vertical from the centre of the eye. Teeth villiform, in very 

 narrow bauds in both jaws. Intermaxillaries short. Barbel minute. 



Trunk of the body very short, the vent being immediately behind the vertical from 

 the root of the pectoral. The trunk rapidly passes into the tail, the anterior portion of 

 which is much contracted in width. The distance between the vent and isthmus equals 

 the length of the postorbital portion of the head. 



The scales are small, studded with long, very fine, curved spinelets, which give the 

 body the appearance of being covered with short villosities. The entire head densely 

 covered with villous scales. A series of larger scales runs along each side of the base of 

 the second dorsal fin. The second dorsal spine is very slender, obscurely denticulated in 

 front; the second dorsal fin commences at a very short distance behind the first. 

 Pectoral fin with a narrow base, as long as the postorbital portion of the head. The 

 outer ventral ray is but slightly produced. Brownish-grey, lower side of the trunk black. 



Habitat. — North of the Kermadec Islands, Station 170 ; depth, 520 fathoms. One 

 specimen, 13 inches long. 



1 A similar fish, probably identical with the one described above, is noticed under the name of Macrurus globiceps 

 (L. Vaill.) in Nature, 1884, No. 560. 



