98 DEEP SEA FISHES. 
tractile, upper lobe capable of being thrown forward and down in front of the 
mouth. Mouth large, width two thirds of the length of the skull, slightly 
ascending forward, jaws strongly curved laterally, articular prominence little 
backward of a vertical from the hind margin of the eye ; lower jaws longer, 
prominent in front of the rostrum. Teeth on jaws and tongue in broad 
villiform bands; a pair of round groups of pharyngeal teeth, smaller than 
the eye, on each side; no teeth on vomer or palatines. Orbit large; eye 
rather small, shorter than the snout, half as wide as the interorbital space. 
Gills two, none on the first and fourth arches; rakers short rounded 
tubercles, six on the first arch, seven on the second ; gill openings as large 
as the eye or larger, placed superiorly in the axilla. Branchiostegal rays 
six, outer one larger, extending to the hinder edge of the disk, joined to 
the suboperculum, Opercles broad; suboperculum rounded at the outer 
angle of the disk, process hardly noticeable on large specimens, but more 
prominent and bearing four to six spines on young individuals. Stomach 
siphonal, intestine short, no pyloric ceca. Spines of medium size, moder- 
ately rough, unequal, not close together, simple over the upper and the 
lower surfaces of disk and tail, two to three cusped along the edges 
anteriorly, smaller below, stronger in two or more series on the tail, small, 
and in two to three series on the top of the orbit. Lateral line distinct, 
fringes above the papillae between the spines at the sides of the line 
comparatively feeble. 
Dorsal origin on large specimens above the hindmost extremity of the 
disk, but, owing to less extent of disk, farther back on small ones; base of 
fin shorter than the eye, greatest length two thirds of the length of the 
skull; anal very narrow, nearly as long as the dorsal, originating backward 
of the base of the latter one leneth of the orbit ; pectorals slender, as long 
as the caudal, fringed, hinder rays short; ventrals narrow, three fifths as 
long as the skull, fringed, foremost rays shorter; caudal narrow, five sixths 
as long as the skull to the nape, hind margin convex. 
A specimen with the length of two and one fourth inches, having a 
prominent subopercular tubercle and a pointed rostrum, is apparently 
uniform blackish; one four and one fourth inches long is blackish below 
the disk, black with white tips on the fins, brownish on the vertebral region 
and the tail, and brownish white over the disk; and one six inches in 
length is whiter over the whole body, probably having been some shade of 
red in life. 
