10 PROCEEDING!^ OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxvi. 



ward, another on the posterior margin of the opercle above, and still 

 another at the end of the preopercuhim below; there are no distinct 

 bony ridges connecting the eye with the anterior edge of the preoper- 

 culuni, and the latter is parallel with its posterior edge but not crossed 

 l>y a bony bridge; interorbital space flatly convex; opercles with many 

 stria^; gill-<)])ening very large; gill-rakers 6-15, very long and slender, 

 much longer than the longest gill-tilaments; branchiostegals, 8; gill- 

 membrane free from the isthmus. Dorsal a short distance behind the 

 gill-opening, graduated to the last spine, which is the longest and 

 nearly equal to the eye; soft dorsal high in front and then sloping 

 behind; anal graduated to the third and longest spine, which is not 

 equal to the higher soft rays; pectoral small. If in the head, and reach- 

 ing beyond the ventrals; ventrals short, about If in the space between 

 their own origin and the origin of the anal; caudal emargii.ate and 

 the lobes pointed; rudimentary caudal rays devoloped as graduated 

 spines above and ])elow. The lateral lino ol)liquely I'unning from the 

 upper part of the head to the base of the caudal. Caudal peduncle 

 compressed, ''2'i in the head. Space from between the ventrals nearly 

 to the origin of the anal provided with a single series of backward!}' 

 directed serra\ Vent in front of the abdominal serra? and between 

 the ventrals. 



Color in alcohol l)rown, the lins all pale, blackish between the man- 

 dibles and over the branchiostegal membranes; peritoneiun black and 

 some parts of i\\o mouth blackish inside. Lt^igth, :ij\ inches. Here 

 descrilxnl from a specimen dredged at station 37:^0 by the U. 8. Fish 

 Connnission steamer A/hi/f/'o.s.s in Suruga Bay. 



It is iuun))ered 50575, U.8.N.M. 



[TT/joae/iiog, forward, in allusion to the location of the vent.) 



FAMILY III. HOLOCENTRID.E. 



s()LI)Ip:r-hbhe8. 



Body o])long or ovate, moderately compressed, covered with veiy 

 strongly ctenoid or spinous scales. Head with large muciferous cavities, 

 eye lateral, very large; preorbital very narrow; mouth moderate, 

 oblique; premaxillaries protractile; maxillary very large, with supple- 

 mental bone; bands of viliiform teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatines. 

 Opercular bones and membrane bones of head generally serrated or 

 spinescent along their edges. Branchiostegals 8. Gill-membranes 

 separate, free from isthmus. Gills -t, a slit behind fourth. Pseudo- 

 branchifB present. Gill-rakers moderate; no barbels. • Sides of head 

 scaly. Lateral line present. Dorsal tin very long, deeply divided, 

 with about 11 strong spines depressible in a scaly groove; anal with 4 

 spines, the third longest and strongest; ventrals thoracic, with 1 spine 

 and 7 rays; caudal deeply forked, with sharp rudimentary rays or 



