470 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



Family PERISTEDIIDvE. 



Peristediina; Jordan anil Gilbf.ut, Bull, xvi, U. S. Nat. Mvi.s., 731. 

 PeristediUhr, Gill, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xi, 1888, 590. 



Trigloids, closely allied to Triglidw, from which they are di.stiuguished by having the 

 body mailed instead of .scaly, by the absence of teeth, and the sepai'ation of the opert'ulum 

 and subopercnlum from the intcroperciilum; and the lesser number of pectoral ai)pend- 

 ages, which are two rather than three. 



PERISTEDION. LAcfipfeDE. 



Peristedion, LAC^pfeDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., in, 1802, p. 368. 



Body elongate, fusiform, covered with bony i)lates, each of which is armed with a 

 strong spine; head bony; each preurbital itroduced into a long flat process, which projects 

 more or less beyond the mouth; mouth small; teeth none; lower jaw included, provided 

 ■with barbels; gill membranes separate, narrowly joined to the isthmus anteriorly; gill 

 rakers slender. Dorsal fin continuous or divided. Pectoral fin short, with the two lower- 

 most rays detached. Ventrals i, 5, separated by a broad flat area. Air-bladder simple. 

 Pyloric creca about 10. Warm seas. Color, generally red. 



In addition to the Atlantic species named below the Ghallent/er took P. mollwccense, 

 Blkr., off the Ki Islands (station 192), llO fathoms; P. Mtimn/), (liinther, from the Sea of 

 Bauda, 200 fathoms; and P. Uorlujnclium, from the Admiralty Island, 152 fathoms. 



PERISTEDION JIINIATUM, Goode. (Figures 385, 385 A, B.) 



PeriKtedium miniatum, Goode, Proc. II. S. Nat. Mus., in, 1880, 349, 480. — Goode and Beast, Bull. Miis. Comp. 

 Zoiil., X, 1883, 212.— .JoKDAN aud Gilbert, Bull., xvi, U. S. Nat. Mus., 732.— Gunther, Challenger Report, 

 XXII, 64. 



The greatest width of the body (20) is equal to its greatest height (19.5) being oue-flfth 

 of its total length without caudal. Tlie general armature of the body is much like that 

 described by Giinther under Peristethns brerirostre.' The number of j^lates between the 

 gill openings and the base of the tail is from 27 to 29. There are 4 series of spiny plates 

 on each side, the spines of the abdominal series becoming very weak and obsolete towards 

 the tip of the tail. 



The length of the head (40.15) is two fifths of the total length without caudal. The 

 length of the preorbital processes (7) is contained about 3i times in the distance from their 

 extremities to the anterior margin of the orbit. The interorbital space is deeply concave; 

 its width (G.75) contained between G and 7 times in the length of the head. Protuberance on 

 the forehead very slight. The length of the snout (22.5) is more than half that of the head 

 (in young less). The diameter of the eye (05) is contained between and 7 times in the 

 length of the head. Tliere is one pair of spines upon the upper sui'ftxce of th(( snout behind 

 the base of the preorbital processes, and another larger pair upon the preorbital processes, 

 one upon each. The ridge of the preoperculnm terminates in a depressed short, sharp- 

 pointed spine. The number of small tentacles upon either side of the lower jaw is about 

 10, the smallest nearest to the symphysis. The long tentacles at the angles of the mouth 

 are fringed, and extend to the base of the pectorals. In other respects Giinther's descrip- 

 tion of P. brerirostre is ample for this species. 



Color, bright crimson. 



Radial fornnda: D. vii, IS; A. 17; C. IG; P. 2 + 10; Y. G. L. lat., 27 on one .side, 28 

 on the other 



Three other specimens had the following: 1). viii, IS; A. 17. 1). \ ii, IS; A. IS. D. 

 VII, 18; A. 18. 



Total length of type (No. 2G023) 300 millimeters. 



' Cat. Fisli. Brit. Mus., ii, 1860, p. 218. 



