REPORT ON THE DEEP-SEA FISHES. 185 



species which are so closely allied. The stomach has the same form, but the pylorus is 

 furnished with one appendage only, and the intestine makes in its lower course four 

 bends, two to the right and two to the left. The network of the mucous membrane is 

 less close and the folds are lower. The liver consists only of the left lobe and the 

 transverse bridge, but the bulky right lobe, which in Bathysauriis ferox forms the 

 greater part of the liver, is entirely absent in this species. The specimen described is a 

 male possessing a narrow tape-like testicle on each side of the posterior half of the 

 abdominal cavity. 



Bathypterois. 

 Bathyptcroia, Giinth., Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist, 1878, vol. ii. p. 183. 



Shape of the body like that of an Aulopus. Head of moderate size, depressed in front, 

 with the snout projecting, the large mandible very prominent beyond the upper jaw. 

 Cleft of the mouth wide; maxillaiy much developed, very movable, much dilated behind. 

 Teetli in narrow villiform bands in the jaw.s. On each side of the broad vomer a small 

 patch of similar teeth; none on the palatines or on the tongue. Eye very small. Scales 

 cycloid, adherent, of moderate size. Rays of the pectoral fin much elongated; some of 

 the upper being separate from the rest and forming a distinct division. Ventral fins 

 abdominal, with the outer rays prolonged, eight-rayed. Dorsal fin inserted in the middle 

 of the body, above or immediately behind the root of the ventral, of moderate length. 

 Adipose fin present or absent. Anal short. Caudal forked. Gill-oi)enings veiy wide ; gill- 

 laminaa well developed, separate from each other; gill-rakers long. Pseudobranchiaj absent. 



Mr. Murray* observes about these fishes {Bathypterois longipes): — "When taken 

 from the trawl they were always dead, and the long pectoral rays were erected like an 

 arch over tlie liead, requiring consideral)le pressure to make them lie along the side of 

 the body; when erected they resembled Pennatulids like Uvihdlula." If we had any 

 evidence of some deep-sea fish feeding on Pennatulids, we might supjjose that the function 

 of those rays consisted in attracting other fishes. But in the absence of such evidence, 

 I am inclined to regard them as organs of touch. 



Bathypterois longijilis (PI. XLVII. fig. B ; PI. XLVIII. fig. B). 



Bathypterois longifilis, Giinth., Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist, 1878, vol. ii. p. 18.3. 



B. 12. D. 13. A. 9. P. 3 I 13. V. 8. L. lat. Gl. L. transv. G | 10. 



The uppermost pectoral ray is the strongest, longer than the whole fish, bifid towards 

 its extremity. Outer ventral rays with dilated extremities. Dorsal fin inserted imme- 

 diately behind the root of the ventrals. An adipose fin. 



> Narr. Chall. E.\p., vol. i. p. 218. 

 (ZOOL, CHALL, E.fP. — PAUT LVII. — 1887.) LH 24 



