Fishes of the JVestern North Atlantic 499 



Orbits: horizontal diameter 2.9; distance between 17.2. 



Spiracles: length 0.5. 



Mouth: breadth 13.5. 



Exposed nostrils: distance between inner ends ii.o. 



Gill openings: lengths, ist 5.6; 3rd 6.0; 5th 4.3; distance between inner ends, 



ist 14.3; 5th T,.T,. 

 Dorsal fin: vertical height 4.5; length of base ^.6. 

 Pelvics: anterior (outer) margin 4.2. 

 Distance: from tip of snout to center of cloaca 43.5. 



Disc, exclusive of cephalic fins, a little more than 2.3 times as broad as long, with 

 well marked mid-dorsal crest from head to pectoral girdle; its thickness at pectoral 

 girdle about 1 1 "/o as great as its extreme breadth. Tail from center of cloaca about as 

 long as disc, tapering regularly and ending in a slender filament ji^* laterally compressed, 

 about 1.7 times as high as wide at posterior end of dorsal fin; its sides flat rearward from 

 dorsal fin; its upper surface with a faintly indicated ridge extending for a short distance 

 rearward from close behind dorsal fin. 



No tail spine. 



Skin along median belt from head to dorsal fin and on lateral parts of disc rough 

 with minute prickles, each with bifid base, smaller and sparser anteriorly than posteriorly; 

 dorsal surfaces of pectorals also with some prickles, at least posteriorly. Ventral surface 

 of snout, of abdomen and of posterior parts of pectorals with similar minute prickles. 



Head weakly convex transversely, without longitudinal depression; its thickness 

 at level of mouth a little more than 7s (about 38 "/o) ^s great as distance between eyes; 

 its dorsal profile sloping forward to sharp front margin; its anterior contour evenly 

 concave. Orbit occupying entire side of head (except base of cephalic fin); exposed part 

 of eye circular, its diameter about half as great as diameter of orbit. Spiracle directed 

 rearward, appearing as a crescentic slit, lying in a groove, outlined above by a ridge 

 extending forward nearly to above eye; distance of spiracle from eye nearly twice as 

 great as diameter of eye. Anterior margins of gill openings weakly convex (front to rear); 

 second and third (longest) about half as long as distance between outer ends of nostrils; 

 fifth about */4 (74 "/o) as long as third. Nasal openings oblique, all but their outer ends 

 concealed by nasal curtain; distance between outer ends of nostrils a little more than 

 half of width of head at level of mouth ;i2* outer-posterior margin of nostril with a low 

 subtriangular lobe extending inward over nasal aperture, only its anterior edge visible 

 unless nasal curtain is turned back; an elliptical area behind this lobe (normally hidden 

 by the nasal curtain) covered by thin skin with large melanophores surrounded by a 

 halo of sparser, smaller melanophores ; nasal curtain with its outer corner a little less 

 than a right angle, its free posterior margin forming a slightly concave free lip, its lower 

 surface, near outer margin, crossed by an oblique fold facing mouth, perhaps acting as 



123. The tail has been repaired midway of its length on the unique specimen, but it appears to be intact otherwise. 



124. About 53 "/„ in preserved state. 



32» 



