504 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



T>raiK;liirR two and oiicbalf, tlio first arcli withoiit lainclla'. Branchial aiicrtures 

 ant('rii)r to jx'ctoral, npon disk. 



Siiperoral cavity small, containing a tentacle (reim'sciiting aborted lirst dorsal), wiiicli 

 is very retractile.' 



Soft dorsal fm, few rayed, inserted at jnnction of disk with trunk. Anal tin few rayed. 

 Pectorals large, carpus slender, not cxserted, horizontally iilaced. ( 'audal roumlcd. 



Ectoderm sjjaringly armed above with stellate tubercles, the posterior of which upon 

 the disk mark the contour of the skeleton. Under surface smooth. 



Air bladder and pyloric cieca absent, intestine short, stomacli siphon-shaped, 

 s])ermaries bilobate, liver on left side of body. 



lIAl.TKl'TICTITTrVR ACULEATUS, (Mitcmii.t.), OoonE. (Figures JU A, B.) 



LopMun andcaliix, MriX'iiii.i., .Xinerkan Monthly Magazine, ii, 1818, 325 (specimen from Straits of B.aliama). 

 Halieulwhlhiis ariileatus, GOOUK, Troe. U. S. Nat. Mas., il, 1879, 109 (ealling attention to Mitehill's deserip- 



tion), Tii, 467.— Jordan anil Gilbep.t, Bull, xvi, U. S. Nat. Mns., 851.— Goode and Bean, ihid, :B3 



(speeimen from Key West). — Gill, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mas., v, 55G. 

 TIalitiitichtltysrcHciihilKs, Poey, MS.— Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. I'hila., 1863, 91 (specimen frcni Cnba). 



A species of llolicxticlithi/s, with cordiform disc, which is about as wide as long, its 

 length more than twotliirds that of the body. Body covered above with stout conical 

 spines witb stellular bases, largest upon the trunk, upon which they are arranged in about 

 two irregular longitudinal rows on each side of the. dorsal; upon the disc they are jdaced 

 above the principal bones of the skeleton, most abundant u^jou its cranial portion. A single 

 row of stout spines, usually three-pointed, marks the outer margin of the disc, a particularly 

 large one at eai-h outer angle. Body entirely smooth below. Snout very short, obtuse. 

 Bridge over the rostral canity covered in front with a three-pointed spine, having on each 

 side a simple spine. Short, stout, simple spines, uj)on each supraorbital margin, thefrontof 

 which is immediately above and behind the cavity containing the nostrils. The vertex 

 bears several similar si)ines. ^lany spines closely placed upon the humeral area. Numer- 

 ous short tentacles upon the margin of the disc and on the sides of the trunk. The supra- 

 oral cavity is elliptical, small (horizontal diameter two-sevenths diameter of orbit), contain- 

 ing a well-developed, club-shaped, very perceptilile tentacle. The width of the opening of 

 the anterior nostril, which is in a short tube, is one-half that of the posterior nostril, which 

 is not tubular. Tlui width of the mouth is nuu'li less than the distance between the pupils 

 and is e<iual to the diameter of the orbit. 



The diameter of the orbit is contained 8J times in distance from snout to base of caudal, 

 6 times in distance from snout to origin of soft dorsal, (>i times in distance to origin of anal, 

 3 times in distance to base of ventrals, and times in distance to angle between pectorals 

 and trunk, 4rJ times in distance from snout to gill opening, in greatest width of disc, and 

 nearly 2 in that of trunk. Width of interor bital area two-tifths diameter of orbit. 



Dorsal tin with 4 or 5 rays, the longest (1st) equal to diameter of orbit. Anal fin in- 

 serted under third lay of the dorsal, with 4 rays, the third or longest, very slightly longer 

 than the longest dorsal ray. 



Ventral fins inserted neaily under the middle of the disc, Mith one rudimentary and 

 5 dorsal rays, iiu-reasing in length ])osteriorly, the last and longest contained 5 times iu 

 total length; distances between origins of ventrals (U iu total length. 



Pectorals with peduncles entirely included in common membrane, with blades far 

 back, horizontal, lying close to trunk, comjwsed of Hi rays, the middle or longest 3% in total 

 length. 



Caudal fin, rounded, composed of 9 rays, the external rays, one above and two below, 

 simple, the others bilid; length of iniddh; ray equal to that of trunk (measured from junc- 

 tion of pectorals to base of caudal rays) and slightly exceeding the longest pectoral ray. 

 Length of intestine contained 1§ times in total length. 



' Tlio rostral tentacle iu SaUeutichthys is by no means obsolete, thongh it is said to be by all w ho have 

 discussed the genus. 



