170 DEEP SEA FISHES. 
tapering slightly forward, nearly one fourth of the entire length including 
the caudal fin. Snout longer than the eye, the length bemg twice that of 
the interorbital space, somewhat broad, blunt. Mouth wide, lower jaw 
shorter than the upper, maxillary reaching nearly half the length of the 
head, broad and truncate posteriorly. Teeth small, in villiform bands on 
the jaws, vomer, and palatines. Vomer decurved in front, bringing the 
curved band of teeth prominently down on the roof of the mouth. Eyes 
large, about one sixth as long as the head, shorter than the snout, supero- 
lateral, in length twice the width of the interorbital space. Nostrils distant 
from one another, posterior nearer to the eye than to the end of the snout, 
anterior near the lip in front. First branchial arch with two rudimentary 
rakers on the upper section, and three short compressed ones and half a 
dozen rudiments on the lower branch. Gill openings very wide ; membranes 
little if any united, free from the isthmus ; laminze very short. No pseudo- 
branchix. A strong opercular spine, as long as the orbit; no other spines on 
the head. The distance from the snout to the mandibular angle is equal to 
that from the eye to the end of the opercular spine. Skull deeply excavated 
for the muciparous channels. Dorsal and anal fins united with the slender 
caudal. The distance from the occiput to the origin of the dorsal, midway 
between the pectorals and the vent, is equal to that from the occiput to the 
end of the snout. Anal fin originating slightly behind the middle of the 
total length, below the twenty-ninth ray of the dorsal. No ventrals. Pee- 
torals simple, not wide, half as long as the head. No pyloric appendages. 
Lateral line faintly indicated on the forward portion of the body. Scales 
small, yery thin and flexible. 
Brownish; head lighter; fins light; belly and gill chamber blackish. 
Station. Latitude. Longitude. Depth. Temperature. Bottom. 
3407 0° 4S. 90° 24’ 307 W. 885 fathoms 37.2° F. Glob. Oz. 
Acanthonus spinifer sp. n. 
Plate F, figs. 3, 3 a. 
Bret. 8D 10ie CA oI ieee melon s©.:8, 
Head large, thick, high, two sevenths of the total length. Snout to anal 
fin about one third of the total. Body cavity short, not half as long as the 
head. Behind the cavity the caudal section is much compressed and taper- 
ing. Cephalic spines situated as in A. arvmafus; the spine at the upper angle 
of the opercle is slender and about half as long as the head; those on the 
