194 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



Subfamily TH YRSITIN^4E. 



Scombrids with elongcate, subfiisiform, more or less compressed bodies, and long spin- 

 ous dorsal. Finlcts i)reseiit or abseut. Veutrals sometimes reduced to a single spine. 

 Pectorals comj)arativeIy low. Caudal not cariiiated. Pyloric cajca ratlier few. 



T H Y R S I T E S. Cu v. & Val. 



Thyrsites, Cfv. .and Val., Hist. Nat. Poiss. vni, p. 196.— Gill. Proc. Acatl. Nat. Sci.,Phila., 1862, p. 126. 



Body fusiform and rather elongate. First dorsal with less than 25 spines. Pectorals 

 equidistant from the back and breast. Teeth on the palatines. Spinous dorsal contiguous 

 to the soft, variable. Pectorals equidistant from the back and breast, or nearer the latter. 

 Tail not keeled. Veutrals i, 5. Dorsal and anal fiulets developed. Lateral liue present. 

 Dorsal and anal Unlets 0. Lateral line abruptly decurved behind the last spines. 



No species of this genus as modified by Gill has been found in the l^orth Atlantic, but 

 since it occurs in South African waters it is likely to occur farther to the north and the 

 diagnosis and figures are introduced for comparison. 



Thyrsitcs atun (Euphrasen) C. and V., is the only species. It is iiudoubtedly a deep- 

 water form. 



THYRSITOPS, Gill. 



TIiyrsUo2)s, Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1862. 



Body fusiform, rather elongate. First dorsal with less than 25 spines. Spinous dorsal 

 contiguous to the soft dorsal fin. Pectorals equidistant from the back and bi'east, or nearer 

 the latter. Tail not keeled. Veutrals i, 5. Dorsal and anal fiulets developed. Dorsal finlets 

 5, anal 4. Lateral liue neai'ly straight. 



THYRSITOPS LEPIDOPOIDES, Cuvier .vnl> Valenciennes. 



Thyrsitcs Upidopoides, Cc vier and Valknciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., viii, 205, pi. ccxx. — GCnther, Cat. Fish. 



Brit. Mus., II, 350. 

 Thyrsilops Upidopoides, Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat., Sci., Phila., 1862, 126. 



A Thyrsitops with a somewhat robust body, having its height one-sixth of its total 

 length, its thickness two-fifths of its height. The length of the head, as iu pretiosus, is one- 

 fourth of the total length. Nostrils so jdaced that the anterior is midway between the orbit 

 and the tip of the snout, and the posterior midway between the anterior and the orbit. 

 Lower jaw passing the upper, but obtuse. Teeth in the jaws small, those iu the roof of the 

 mouth anteriorly very large and conspicuous. A row of teeth on the vomer, aud another 

 along each palatine bone, small, short, aud sharp. Tongue smooth. Operculum deeply 

 emarginate, having two sharp points, flexible, intruding into the skin. First dorsal low, 

 uniform in height, 17 very flexible rays, the length of which is about one-fourth of the 

 height of the body, the last being very small. The length of the base of this fin is one- 

 third that of the body. The second dorsal in its anterior part is twice as high as the first, 

 and its leugth is twice its own lieight. It is composed of 2 hidden spines and 14 rays, and 

 is followed by 4 fiulets. The anal is similar to the second dorsal in position and size, is 

 composed of 2 spines and 15 soft rays, and is followed by 4 finlets, the last of which 

 looks as if it were double. The length of the pectoral is one-ninth of the total length. 

 Veiitral two-thirds as long as the pectoral. The head and the most of the body ajiiiear 

 to be smooth, but toward the end of the tail some scales are visible. The lateral line is 

 nearly straight, and formed of a series of little, serrated scales. Color silvery, a little 

 darker ou the back; the lateral liue brown, fins gray, iris golden. 



Kadia! formula: D. XVII, li, 14-1-iV; A. ii, 15+iV. 



The types of this species were sent to the Mus6e d'Histoire Naturelle from Brazil by 

 Dehilandc, aud were a foot iu length. The species is undoubtedly an inhabitant of consid- 

 erable depths. 



