328 DEEP-SEA FISHF.S OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



The ao.strils ire sinall, the anterior as (;h).se to the snout as the posterior ones are to 

 the eyes. No apparent cirri. The scales are minute; the lateral line is obsolete on the last 

 Ibnrth ol' the length of the body. 



The dorsal origin is behind that of the ventral and pectoral; its distance from the 

 snout (24 millimeters) is contained 3| times in length of the body. The height of the 

 iin is moderates; the longest ray is contained about 3 times in the length of the head. 



The anal origin is under the eighteenth ray of the dorsal; rhe lieight of the tin about 

 equals that of the dorsal. The vertical flus are not connate with the caudal, which consists 

 i)f 12 or 13 A^ery slender rays, its length nearly equal to half that of head. 



The pectoral with a broad base, close to gill-opening, its length nearly two-thirds that 

 of the head. 



The ventral a single bifid ray, inserted in advance of the vertical through the base of 

 the pectorals, and not far from the humeral symphysis. It reaches nearly lialf-way to the 

 vent, the distance of which from the oi'igin of the ventral is equal to the length of the head.' 



Color, yellowish brown. 



The type of this species, a specimen 88 millimeters in length, was taken by the Blnlt; 

 from station xciv, oft' Moro Castle, Cuba, at a depth of from 250 to 400 fathoms. A col- 

 lateral type specimen (Cat. No. 290.57, U. S. N. M.) was obtained by the Fish llawl- from 

 station 1043, in 38° 30' N. lat., 73° 11' W. Ion., at a depth of 130 fathoms. 



BENTHOCOMETES MUK^NOLEPIS, (Vaillant), Goode auil Bean. 



Sh-cmbo iitura'Holepis, Vaillaxt, Exp. Sci. Triiv. et Tiilisman, 273, j)!. xxiii, Fig. 4, 4a. 



This species does not appear to be very unlike the preceding, but without examination 

 of the type we hesitate to pronounce it identical. 



Two specimens were obtained by the French explorers at station lxix, oil the coast of 

 Soudan, in 410 meters. 



BASSOGIGAS, Gill. 

 Jlasxof/ifiaa, GiLL, MS. 



Brotulids having the body elongate, compressed, covered with a thick, heavy skin, 

 which upon the head covers and obscures all the angles of the skull. Scales small, cover- 

 ing body and head com])letely. Lateral line indistinct for the greater part of its course, but 

 a])parently extending at least two-thirds of the way from the oi»erculum to the tail. Eye 

 moderate. Vertical fins completely united ; ventrals a pair of bifid filaments inserted behind 

 the hunu'.ral symphysis, and remote at their bases, short, rather stout. Snout without 

 barbels, slightly produced, tlie lower jaw being barely included. Villiform teeth in the 

 jaws, on the vomer and palatines; vomerine i)atch V-sbaped, but Mith its arms liroadly 

 expantled and thicker at the angle, so that it is almo.st triangular. Operculum with a long, 

 sharp spine; preoperculum unarmed. Branchiostegals eight. Air-bladder present. I'seu- 

 dobranchiae small. 



B. ptcroUis {Alcock) = NcohytMfes pteyoliin (Alcock, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1889, ii, 

 210) is characterized by long feathery peduncles reaching beyond the vent. One specimen 

 was taken by the Invcstifintor at station 97, in the Bay of Bengal, at a depth of 1,310 fathoms. 



NeohytliUes stellifcroidrs, Gilbert, obtained by the Albatross in 712 fathoms oft' the west 

 coast of Lower California, is perhaps not remotely related to this genus. 



BASSOGIGAS GILLII, Godue and Bean, n. 8. (Figure 291.) 



Head rather short and broad, with snout slightly overlapping the lower jaw. Diameter 

 of the eye scarcely one- third of the length of the snout, and about one-twelfth of that of the 

 head; the maxillary extending far behind the eye, the vertical from the anterior margin 

 of the orbit nearly bisecting it; its length half that of the head, and its posterior margin 

 ending in a broad, triangular dilation. Teeth normal. Anterior and posterior nostrils 



' In one oC tlie Jlbalrvus sjiecimeus the pectoral extends to the vertieal from the eighth ray of the 

 second dorsal. 



