156 



The first few rays of the dorsal fin are in front of the ventrals. The 

 adipose fin is as far behind the dorsal as the dorsal is behind the anterior edge 

 of the pupil. 



The pectorals are as long as the head behind the snout, and reach nearly 

 to the tips of the ventrals : the latter are rather more than half the total length 

 of the head. 



Colours in spirit : silvery grey with numerous broad ill-defined dusky cross- 

 bands ; fins hyaline, the tip of the caudal and the base and tip of the dorsal black : 

 numerous parallel oblique rows — very conspicuous on the thorax and belly — 

 of tiny black specks with a silvery centre, resembling incipient luminous 

 spots. 



Seven large pyloric c£eca. 



The largest specimen is a little over 3 inches long. 



Bay of Bengal, off Madras coast, 145 to 250 fathoms. 



Re^d. Nos. 13712 to 13715. 



-'&'■ 



Bathypterois, Giinther. 



Bathypterois, Giinther, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 1878, Vol. H., p. 183 ; Challenger Deep Sea Fishes, p. 185 : Goods 

 and Bean, Oceanic Ichthyology, p. 61 ; Jordan and Evermann, Fishes N. Amer., p. 544. 



Form of the body elongate, slightly compressed. Scales cycloid, of moderate 

 size. Head low ; with a long broad depressed bill-like snout, the end of which 

 is formed by the prominent mandible. Cleft of the mouth wide ; maxillary 

 much developed, very movable, dilated behind. Villiform teeth in naiTow 

 bands on the jaws : vomerine teeth present or absent : no teeth on the palatines 

 or tongue. Eye very small. 



Grill-openings very wide : gill-laminae well developed : gill-rakers long and 

 numerous. Branchiostegals numerous. No pseudobranchi«. 



Dorsal fin in the middle of the back, above or just behind the root of the 

 ventral, rather short. Anal rather short, below or just behind the dorsal. 

 Caudal forked, its lowermost rays sometimes prolonged. Adipose dorsal present 

 or absent. 



Pectorals remarkably developed, at least their uppermost rays arfe isolated 

 and enormously prolonged. Ventrals abdominal, well developed, their outer- 

 most rays usually prolonged. 



No luminous spots. 



Distribution : Atlantic ; Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea ; 

 Western and Southern Pacific. 



