6i 



DEPTHS OF THE OCEAN 



definite group of pelagic animals taken at a genuine oceanic 

 station far from land in deep water. I have for this purpose 

 prepared the following list recording all the fishes taken at 

 Station 53, to the south of the Azores, during the night of the 

 8th - 9th of July, but 1 regret being unable in the case of 

 the young fish to indicate the species, which would have added 

 greatly to the interest of the list : — 



Pelagic Fishes, Station 53 



Surface, tow -net : Scopelidae : Myctophmn coccoi, M. pu?ictatum, M. charo- 

 cephalum, M. affine, M. hitmholdti, etc.; Stomiatidse : Stomias boa, 13 

 Astronesthes niger. 



50 metres, tow-net: Great numbers of larvae and young fish, some with 

 telescopic eyes, 4 small larvae of the common eel {Leptocephalus brevirostris, 

 4.8-5.7 cm. long); many Scopelidae: 12 Stomias bwa, Chauliodus 

 s/oanei, 3 Dactylostomias n.sp. No. i, Idiacanthus ferox. 



100 metres, tow-net: Scopelidae: Myctophmn {Diaphus) gettiellari, 3 Stomias 

 boa, Vincigiterria lucetia, Argyropelecus. 



150 metres, young-fish trawl: a few fish-larvs, 2 Leptocephalus n.sp., some 

 Argyropelecus, 2 Stomias boa, Fhotostotfiias giiernei, Go)iostoma rhodadetiia, 

 new genus of Saccopharyngidae. 



300 METRES, young-fish TRAWL : Young fish with telescopic eyes ; Scopelidae 

 {Myctophum coccoi, etc.) ; 5 Cyclothone signata, Cyclothone 7nicrodofi, 10 

 Vinciguerria lucetia, 13 Valenciennellus tripunctulatus, 16 Argyropelecus he?ni- 

 gymnus, Argyropelecus aculeatus, Sternoptyx diaphana (young fish from 

 8.5 cm. in length). 



550 METRES, TOW-NET: 14 Cvclotliofie signata, 7 Cyclothone microdon, 14 Chauli- 

 odus sloanei, 3 Ster?ioptyx diaphana. 



800 METRES, YOUNG-FISH TRAWL: 2 2 Cyclothone signata, 121 Cyclothone microdon, 

 Gonostoma rhodadenia, Gonostoma grande, Stomias boa, 2 Vinciguerria 

 lucetia, 2 Idiacanthus ferox, Astronesthes tiiger, 4 Gastrostomus bairdii. 



1300 METRES, LARGE NET: Leptocephalus, 16 Cyclothone signata, 357 Cyclothone 

 microdon, 7 Gonostoma grande, Photostomias gtiernei, 5 Chauliodus sloanei, 

 2 Idiacanthus ferox, Cyema atrum, 3 Gastrostofnus bairdii, Melatiocetus 

 johnsoni, Melanocetus krechi, Oneirodes n.sp. No. 3, 3 Aceratias macro- 

 rhinus indicus. 



These catches may be classified into three main regions : — 

 (i) a region extending downwards from about 500 metres, 

 characterised by the occurrence of Cyclothone and various black 

 or dark coloured fishes, and of many peculiar invertebrates, 

 red prawns being prominent ; (2) a region ranging between 

 150 and 500 metres, characterised by a peculiar community of 

 silvery or grayish fishes, belonging to the families Sternoptychidse 

 and Stomiatidee ; and (3) the surface region comprising the 

 upper 150 metres, characterised by transparent or blue coloured 

 animals and juvenile forms, especially the members of the large 

 family Scopelidae. 



