68 EINAR LÖNNBERG, (Schwed. Südpolai-Uxp. 



lo. Bathylagus gracilis n. sp. 



I specimen from a depth of 2,800 m. 4th Febr. 1902, 63 24' S. lat. 45° 40' W. long. 

 I » >- > 2,700 m. 27th June 1902, 49' 56' S. lat. 49' 56' W. long, 



both caught in an open net. 



D. 9 — 10. A. 19. Squ. 41 (rj in a longitudinal row, 5 in a vertical between 

 the beginning of dorsal and ventral. 



Body long and slender. Length of head contained 4— 4'/^ times in total length 

 without caudal. Greatest depth of body about 7 times in total length. Least depth 

 of body not much more than twice in greatest depth. Beginning of dorsal nearer 

 to snout than to base of caudal fin. Diameter of eye equal to half the length of 

 head. Snout short, not quite half as long as the diameter of eye. Interorbilal 

 space very narrow and deeply concave. Mouth small, posterior end of the maxil- 

 lary not quite on a level with the lower margin of eye. 



The dimensions of the two specimens are: 



Total length 60 82 mm. 



Length of head 15 18 ; 



Greatest depth of body 8,5 12 



Least depth of body 4 5 



Distance from snout to dorsal fin 28 37 



» •■ adipose > ' 52 68 » 



» s > > ventral » 29 39 



' > > 5 ana.l 43 57 



Diameter of eye 7)3 9 * 



Length of snout 3.5 4-5 * 



Interorbital width I 2 > 



The larger specimen is labelled as having been, when just caught, "greyish 

 brown, with the belly bright bluish green. Paired fins hyaline, dorsal, anal and 

 caudal fins somewhat brownish". The smaller specimen is labelled "dark- brown". 

 In general appearance this species is more slender than the two species which are 

 figured in "Oceanic Ichthyology" and the contour of the forehead and snout are 

 somewhat longer than that of the chin. B. antarcticus Gtmr is described from 

 the Antarctic Ocean * but is readily distinguished from this species by having a 

 greater ntmiber of anal rays, 22 instead of 19, a broader interorbital space being 

 two thirds as wide as eye and flat, and a deeper body about which it is said, that 

 it is only "rather less than the length of the head". These differences cannot be 

 due to different size and age as the Challenger specimen is said to be 4"/3 inches 



* Challenger Rep. Vol. XXII p. 220—221 & Ann. Mag. Xat. Hist. 1878 Vol 2. 



