154 



DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



scribed by Giinther iu the Challenger Ueport. A (•()i>y of liis figure, is reproduced. (Fig- 

 ure 174.) 



CYEMA, Gunther. 



Cyema, Gunthkk, Ann. .and Mag. Nat. Hist,., ii, 1878,251; Challenger Report, xxii, 1887, 265. — .Ioudan and 

 Davis, Rep. U. .S. V. C, 1888, 65. 



This genus, says Giintlier, combines the form of the snout of a Nemichthys with the 

 soft, sliort body of a Leptocephalus ; but tlie gill openings are very narrow and close together 

 on the abdominal surface. Vent in about the middle of the length of tlie body; vertical fins 

 well de\'eloped, confined to and interrupted at the extremity of the tail. I'ectoral tins well 

 developed. Eye very small. 



It is to be hoped that Dr. Giintlier will publi.sh his views more fully upon the relation 

 of this form to Leptveephalus. To a casual observer Cyema ^ as exhibited in the French and 

 English material, seems very like a young N'emichthys, with its jaws and tail mutilated and 

 partly repaired. 



CYEMA ATBUM, Gijnther. (Figure 176.) 



Ctjema atrum, GtJNTHER, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., ii, 1878, 251; Cliallcnger Report, xxii, 265, PI. Liv, Fig. 

 D. — Vaillajs'T, Exped. Travailleur et Talisman, Poissons, 91, PI. vii, Figs. 4, 4«. — Jordan and Davis, 

 Rep. U. S. F. C, 1888, 654. 



A specimen Ii inches long was obtained by the Challoujer in the South Pacific, station 

 215, depth 1,500 fathoms; another, 4| inches long, at station 158, in the Antarctic seas, 

 depth 1,800 fathoms. The French explorers took another, identified by Vaillant with this 

 species, at station xxxviii, 2,210 meters, off the coast of Morocco. This specimen is thus 

 described by Vaillant: 



This is a little fish, 110 to 120 millimeters long and scarcely 2^ to 3 millimeters in thick- 

 ness; this form has justly been compared to iejj^ocfp''"?"*' by the accomplished Keeper of 

 the Zoological Collections in the British Museum. 



The iiead is swollen, forming about one-sixth of the t<ital length; the muzzle forms 

 more than a half of the head; the angle of the mouth is well behind the eye; the jaws are 

 armed with small serrated teeth disposed in quincunx and giving it the appearance of 

 a fine file as in Nemichthys. The upper jaw is in large ])art wanting, also the extremity of 

 the lower and their dimension can only be given approximately. It is not possible to dis- 

 cover the position of the nostrils. The eyes are small and tlie interorbital space rather 

 large, about one-seventh of the length of the head. The narrow branchial orifices are close 

 to the lateral line, but not confluent, and placed very near the pectorals. 



The anus is situated behind the middle of the total length, at the union of the anterior 

 five-eighths with the posterior three-eighths. The skin is scaleless. 



The dorsal and anal are nearly opposite on the i)osterior part of the body, immediately 

 behind the anus. The manner in which these fins terminate is not quite clear; in the living 

 animal it appears to me that they are united, forming a semilunar fork, posteriorly wanting 

 the ordinary caudal fin of fi.shes properly so called, but I am not willing to affirm that the 

 extremity was absolutely intact, the action of the preserving fluid making the ascertaiu- 

 mciit of the fact more difficult daily. 



The color is a beautiful velvety black. 



Millimeters. 



Length 105 



Height 7 



Thicliness 2i 



Head, length 17 



Millimeters. 



Tail, length 40 



Snout, length 9? 



Eye, diameter ^ 



Interorbital width . 2 



The specimen is ]S!"o. 8-1—1007, in the iclithyological collection of i\w I'aris Museum. It 

 was taken at station 38. Dr. (liinther states that the species has been taken in depths of 

 3,743 anil 3,202 meters in the Pacific and Antarctic oceans. 



