132 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



Icng-tli of its baso is about two-tliirds that of the snout; its height equal to the diameter of 

 the orbit. Oaudal furcate. Teetoral lou,u- aud stroug, its length equal to tli<' distance from 

 the tip of the snout to the posterior margiu of the orbit, and about twice that of tlie man 

 dible. The vential is inserted under the middle of the base of the dorsal, the distance from 

 the posterior margiu of the orbit ecpial to the distance of the latter from the .suout. Color, 

 brownish. 



Kadial formula: D. 1, 8; A. 1, 7; V. 9 or 10. 



The species is described from a specimen about 8 inches in length, obtained by the 

 steamer Blake, at station Lll, off Barbadoes, in 158 fathoms. 



Family BENTHOSAURIDvE. 



Benthoeaundm, Gill, MS. 



Syuodcmtoidea with well developed supi-amaxillaries widening backward and applied to 

 tlie dentigerous intermaxillaries; pectorals inserted near the shoulders, aud very long 

 veutrals. [Gill.) 



BENTHOSAURUS, Goode and Bean. 



Benthosanrus, Goode and Bean, Bull. Mils. Comp. Zool., xii, No. 5, 165. 



Body long, .somewhat compressed, tapering into a .slender, elongate, caudal peduncle. 

 Scales (-ydoid, of moderate size. Head .slightly depressed; cleft of mouth wide, horizontal, 

 the lower jaw projecting at its exti'emity and anteriorly at the sides. Tlie maxilla is long, 

 not stout, dilated posteriorly; the intermaxillary very long, styliform, tapering, immovable. 

 The intermaxillary and mandible with bands of small teeth, of uniform size, interrupted at 

 the symphysis. A short oblong band of similar teeth on each side of the vomer, separated 

 by a rather wide inter.space. Palate and tongue smooth. Eye very small, inconspicuous. 

 Gill opening extremely wide, the branchiostegal membrane free from the isthmus. Gill 

 rakers h)ng aud slender, numerous, about twice as many below the angle as above. Pseu- 

 dobranchiaj absent. Branchiostegals eleven. All the tins well developed; no adipose dor- 

 sal. Dorsal tin median, anal postmedian. Caudal forked, with lower lobe produced. 

 Ventral seven-rayed, inserted opposite the interspace between pectoral and dorsal, the outer 

 ray produced. 



Benthosaurus is closely allied to Bathysaurus and Bathypterois. 



BENTHOSAURUS 6RALLAT0R, Goode and Bean. (Figure 73.) 

 Benthosaurus grallator, Goode and Bean, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool.;Xii, No. 5, 168. 



Body elongate, somewhat compressed, depressed slightly forward, tapering behind into 

 a long slender tail, its greatest height contained 7i times in its standard length, and equal- 

 ing half the length of the head, its greatest width one-third the length of the head; its 

 height at the origin of the anal, five-sixths of its greatest height. Least height of tail half 

 the height of the body at the veutrals. Length of caudal iieduncle 6i times its least height. 



Scales very thin, cycloid, leathery, deciduovis; oval in form, except at the base of the 

 dorsal and anal fins, where they become more elongate; the horizontal diameter of a scale 

 in tlie lateral line equals twice the diameter of the eye. The lateral line is straight, above 

 the median line anteriorly, becoming median on the caudal peduncle, the tube-bearing scales 

 being ])rominent, and about 55 in number. Between the dorsal fin and the lateral line are 

 about nine rows of scales; between the latter aud the anal fin, eight or nine rows. 



Head twice as long as the greatest height of the body, its length contained a little less 

 than 4 times in the standard body length, considerably depressed, scaleless except on the 

 vertex aud the preoperculum. Operculum (perhaps accidentally) denuded. 



The snoat is much produced, almost Cfjual to the width of the interorbital space, which 

 is convex. The maxilla extends far behind the posterior margin of the eye, its length equal- 

 ing that of the postorbital part of the head. Tlie mandible projects beyond tlie up]ier jaw 

 to a distance slightly more than the diameter of the orbit, and receives the snout within its 

 extremity when the jaws are closed. The teeth have been fully described in the generic 



