GENUS AND TEN NEW SPECIES OF JAPANESE FISHES. 15 



ning with steep convex curve, even behind occipital part, very 

 gradually sloping posteriorly. Eye lateral, high up. Interorbital 

 very convex, narrower than diameter of orbit. Snout rather 

 small, the upper profile broadly curved, the tip acute when 

 viewed from side. Mouth oblique, lower jaw slightly projecting ; 

 maxillary extending to posterior edge of pupil. Teeth very 

 slender, in one row ; none on vomer, palatines and tongue. 

 Gill-openings very wide, but quite separate ; gills 4 in number ; 

 gill-rakers long, 8 + 10; pseudobranchiœ well developed. Dorsal 

 inserted a little in front of posterior third of space from tip 

 of snout to base of middle caudal rays. Anal inserted below 4th 

 ray of dorsal, the tip not reaching to base of caudal ; posterior 

 end of base of both dorsal and anal on same vertical. Pec- 

 toral placed very low, small. Ventrals close together, inserted 

 midw^ay between base of pectoral and posterior end of base of 

 anal, their tip extending slightly past halfway between their 

 origin and that of anal. Vent immediately in advance of anal. 

 Caudal strongly emargiuate. Body naked ; lateral line complete, 

 slightly decurved, running slightly nearer back than belly. 



Body jet-black, all the fins slightly paler. Black nodules 

 sparsely scattered throughout body. 



The species very closely resembles Xenodermichthys squami- 

 laterus Alcock, but differs from this in having smaller head, 

 lower body, and probably a little smaller eye. 



Two specimens were taken by Mr. Aoki at Outside Okino- 

 se, in [îbout 700 fathoms, in February 1908. One of them, the 

 type, is 23.5 cm. long as measured to root of middle caudal 

 rays ; it is registered in the University collection under No. 

 2147. The species is named in honour of Prof. Watase, of the 

 Imperial University of Tokyo. 



