iQoy.] Records of the Indian Museinn. g 



of the tail are obvious, but not prominent. The dorsal and ventral 

 parts of the caudal fin are confluent. 



The teeth are in lo to 12 rows in both jaws ; the front row 

 has only 3 or 4 teeth ; behind this the number gradually increases 

 in succeeding rows up to about 16. The teeth of the front rows 

 have triangular, flat surfaces ; behind, the teeth bear a sharp me- 

 dian cusp. 



The spiracle is immediately behind the eye and is the same 

 size as the eye. 



The electric organs seem well developed. The fish gave no 

 perceptible shock to the hand and died soon after capture. 



Round the margin of the disc, and along the sides of the tail, 

 and over the snout, are the openings of mucous pores symmetri- 

 cally arranged. 



Consistency and general appearance distinctly bathybial. 



Colour — Dark brown above, greyish brown below. 

 Habitat — Gulf of Aden ; 130 fathoms. 



LcBops nigrescens ^ sp. nov. 

 D. 95 i A. 82 C. 17. I P.d. & 5.13. I V.d. & s. 6. 



This species is closely allied to L. guentheri and L. parviceps. 

 It differs from these in the following respects : — 



It is bathybial in appearance. The pectoral fins are longer than 

 the head. The head is ;^th the length without the caudal fin ; 

 the height without the fins is 2f in the total length. The pectoral 

 fins are better developed on the left side ; the length of the left 

 pectoral is longer than the entire head in most specimens ; it is 

 never less than the length of the head. The left pectoral fin is 

 much longer than the right, in some specimens nearly twice as 

 long. The ventral fins are about equal : the left is in a line with 

 the anal. The caudal fin is pointed, its length is 6 in the total. 

 The length of the dorsal and anal fin rays are about equal and are 

 about 2^ in the body height. The lateral line forms a strong 

 pectoral curve ; the scales are small and deciduous. The snout is 

 half the major diameter of the eye, the lower eye is in advance of 

 the upper ; the eyes are separated by a prominent ridge. 



The major diameter of the eye is one- third the length of the 

 head. 



Teeth on the blind side only. 



Vomer prominent, devoid of teeth. 



Seven specimens, the longest 6|- inches in length. 



Colour — lycft side dark sepia, with irregular patches of a 

 darker sooty tone, fins nearly black. The colour resembles that 

 of Lceops macropthalmatus from 100 fathoms and differs widely 

 from that of L. guentheri and L. parviceps from shallow water. 



Habitat — Gulf of Aden ; 130 fathoms. 



9 



