104 
4. Aleposomus Gill. 
(Gitt, American Natural. XVIII. 1884, p. 433). 
(Xenodermichthys Giinther). 
Slender, compressed, without scales or only in the lateral 
line, which only in that case is conspicuous. Skin thick, 
especially on the head and on the belly, with small irregular 
papillae. Mouth small or moderate. Jaws feeble, with small 
teeth in the intermaxilla, maxilla and mandible. Palate tooth- 
less. Dorsal and anal nearly equal and about totally opposite. 
Ventrals about in the middle of the body. Radii branchiostegi 
6—7. Otherwise as in Alepocephalus. 
Synopsis of the species. 
A. Lateral line very conspicuous, with underlying scales, eye 
more than double of interorbital space........... A. lividus p. 104. 
B. Lateral line inconspicuous, without scales, eye somewhat 
more than Mnterorpital eSpace rams ah eile ell iente Ralls kellie onion A. nudus p. 105. 
1. Aleposomus lividus Brauer. 
Aleposomus lividus Brauer, Deutsche Tiefsee-Exp., Tiefseefische 1906, p. 21. 
D. 19—21; A. 18—19; P. 7—8; V. 7. 
Height 41/,—4°/,, head 3—3'/,, eye 3—31/,;, more than 
double of interorbital space, snout 1'/,—2 in eye. Gape of 
mouth reaching the vertical through posterior margin of eye. 
Intermaxilla, maxilla and mandible with small theeth. Origin 
of dorsal nearly at the beginning of the last '/, of the body, 
in the vertical through the anus, somewhat before anal. Ven- 
trals somewhat behind middle of body. Lateral line very 
conspicuous; its pores on the top of papillae which are directed 
backward. Scales underneath lateral line, circular in their 
anterior part, with very broad opening, through which goes 
the lateral canal; hindpart of scales handle-shaped and laterally 
deflected from the anterior part. Skin otherwise naked, divided 
in regular areas, with scattered short black papillae. Blue 
black with a violet hue, fins dark. Length 330 mm. [After 
Brauer, not seen by us]. 
Habitat: West of Sumatra (768 —1143 m.). 
