318 DEEP SEA FISHES. 
Venefica ocella sp. n. 
Plate LXI. fig. 2. 
D. 417; A. 324; C. 14. 
The slenderest species of the genus so far as known. In the specimen 
here described, which may not be entire, the distance from the snout to the 
vent is nearly one third of the total length, while the depth is but one 
fifty-sixth. The head is close upon one ninth of the entire length, very 
slender, and rather wider than deep, especially on the snout. Snout acute, 
very long, three fifths as long as the head, or from the eye to the tip 
excluding the proboscis equal to one half of the cephalic length. Proboscis 
more than three fifths as long as the balance of the snout, slender, pointed, 
subround in transsection, slightly enlarged near the end, situated about 
one length of the orbit in advance of the swollen ends of the mandibles. 
Anterior nostrils tubular, on the superolateral surface of the widened 
extremity of the rostrum, directed forward and upward ; posterior small, 
longer than wide, in front of the upper part of the eye and one orbital 
diameter farther forward. Mouth wide, maxillary situated backward of 
the eye about one length of the orbit. Teeth in bands, on jaws and vomer, 
small, subtriangular and somewhat depressed in the cusp, which latter is 
sharp on edge and apex and hooks back toward the gullet. Below the 
cusp on many of the teeth there is when seen from front or back constric- 
tion enough to give the outline the shape of an arrowhead. Behind the 
anterior group, and separating it from the other vomerines, there is a 
space in the shape of a horseshoe from which a notch extends outward at 
each side separating the group from the maxillary bands. Eye small, one 
thirteenth of the length of the entire snout, or one twenty-first of that of 
the entire head. Gill openings small, their width and distance apart about 
equal to the length of the orbit. 
Dorsal origin above the gill opening, fin on the specimen described with 
four hundred and seventeen rays. Anal origin below the ninety-ninth ray 
of the dorsal, fin with three hundred and twenty-four rays. Caudal narrow, 
two fifths as long as the rostrum without the proboscis, of fourteen rays, 
acuminate. The hinder half of the caudal section is less filiform than in 
V. tentaculata or V. procera, which suggests a possibility of greater length 
in other specimens. 
