Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North America. 459 



increased by a fold of the integument between the vertical fins ; caudal 

 rather short and forked; pectoral very short, only half as long as eye. 

 Scales small, cycloid, each with a longitudinal keel, and not spinigerous, 

 as in Macrxrus, but simple, as in the keeled scales of a snake; the stria- 

 tions, instead of continually crossing the scale, are interrupted by the 

 raised median line ; head entirely scaleless ; lateral line straight, running 

 along the middle of the body and tail, and composed of very small 

 pores. Brown ; head, pectoral region, the vent, and fringes of the caudal 

 peduncle, black. Length 5^ inches. Mid-Atlantic, Challenger Station 

 107, in 1,500 fathoms ; also in the Arabian Sea. (a, without ; Troi'f, foot ; 

 oTTorf, without feet, the ventrals being wanting.) 

 Platijlroctes aptis, Gi'NTHER, Ann. anil Slag. Nat. Hist., ii, 1S78, 240, Mid-Atlantic ; 'Coll. 



Challenger); Guntheb, Challenger Report, xxii, pi. Lvrii, fig. A, 22i», 1887 ; .\l('o(;k, Ann. 



and Mag. Nat. Hist., vi, ii, 1890, 307 ; Goode & Bean, Oceanic Ichthyology, ifi, 18!),'j. 



230. ALEPOSOMUS, Gill. 



Ahposomiis, Gill, American Naturalist, xviir, 1884,433, (copei). 



Body elongate, scaleless ; skin thick, finely rugose, with a considerable 

 number of small nodirles upon the belly, and sometimes also upon the 

 sides and the lower part of the head. Lateral line wanting Mouth mod- 

 erate, with minute teeth u))on the mandible and premaxillary ; pala- 

 tines, tongue, and pharyngeal bones probably toothless. Dorsal and 

 anal fins opposite, similar in form and equal in length ; caudal probably 

 forked. Vent behind the middle of the body. Gill openings wide. Deep 

 sea; two species known, (a, without; /It ttoc, scale or husk ; aufia, hody.) 



7.54. ALEPOSOMUS COPEI, Gill. 



Head 3f ; depth 5^; eye 2 in head. Body compressed, its outlines 

 sloping from head to middle of caudal jieduncle. Snout short, declivous, 

 its length i the horizontal diameter of the eye and about 5 that 

 of head. Mandible scarcely extending beyond upper jaw ; maxillary 

 extending to vertical from middle of orbit. Small teeth upon mandi- 

 ble and premaxillary. Eye very large, its upper outline not projecting 

 above the dorsal profile, as in A. socialis (Yaillant). Gill opening 

 large. Skin thick, slimy; no lateral line distinguishable; no scliles 

 present, but numerous tubercles upon the sides of the body ; none per- 

 ceptible on the head. Vent midway between origin of ventral and tip 

 of last dorsal ray. Dorsal origin equidistant from the gill opening and 

 the base of the middle caudal rays ; highest in its middle portion, round- 

 ing forward and behind; anal inserted immediately under the dorsal, 

 similar in shape and equal in extent; caudal, though mutilated, 

 undoubtedly emarginate, and probably forked. Accessory rays (cliarac- 

 teristic not only of Jlejyosomus but of Xenodermichthns) not conspicuous; 

 pectoral inserted very low down, close to the posterior angle of the pre- 

 opercular flap, and appearing to have been feeble, its diameter not much 

 greater than half the diameter of the eye; ventral origin equidistant 

 between posterior margin of eye and base of last dorsal ray. Color 

 uniform blackish. 



