/ 



94 THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGEE. 



ventral and anal fins. Eye round, rather large, its diameter one-fonrth of the length of 

 the head, less than that of the snout, and nearly equal to the width of the flat inter- 

 orbital space. Mouth wide, the maxillary extending nearly to below the hind margin 

 of the eye. Teeth in both jaws in narrow villiform bands ; a small group of teeth on 

 the vomer. Posterior extremity of the maxillary not much dilated. Nostrils close 

 together ; the posterior are wide, semicircular openings, the anterior narrower and round. 

 The vent is rather nearer to the end of the operculum than to the root of the caudal. 



The entire head (even the gill-membrane and the foremost part of the snout) and the 

 body are covered with small cycloid scales, of which only a few have been preserved ; 

 there are about ten in a transverse line between the first dorsal fin and the lateral line. 



The greater part of the dorsal and anal fins are covered with scales. The first dorsal 

 is subcontinuous with the second, and the first ray is produced into a filament about as 

 long as the head. The second dorsal and anal fins are rather low ; the latter so much 

 depressed in the middle as to present the appearance of a double anal. The free portion 

 of the tail is narrow, terminating in a comparatively small caudal fin, which is truncated 

 behind. Pectoral pointed, the upper rays being the longest ; it is as long as or longer 

 than the head exclusive of the snout. The two outer ventral rays prolonged as 

 two filaments ; the second being twice as long as the first, and not extending as far 

 back as the pectoral. 



Black ; cavity of the mouth, gills, and abdomen deep black. 



Habitat. — Deep-sea, midway between the Cape of Good Hope and Kerguelen Island ; 

 east of the mouth of the Eio de la Plata. 



Near Marion Island, Station 146; depth, 1375 fathoms. One specimen, 18^ inches 

 long. 



Off Monte Video, Station 320 ; depth, 600 fathoms. One specimen, 24 inches long. 



Antimora viola (PI. XV.) 



Haloporplujrus viola, Goode and Bean, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., vol. i., 1879, p. 257 ; vol. iii., 1881, 

 p. 476 ; BuU Mus. Comp. Zool., vol x., 1883, p. 206 ; Amer. Jonrn. Sci. 

 and Arts, vol. xvii., 1879, p. 41. 



Antimora viola, Jordan, Cat. Fish. N. Amer., p. 129. 



This fish is very closely allied to Antimora rostrata, but clearly a distinct species, if 

 the following characters should prove to be constant. 



1 S 



B. 7. D. 4-5 I 53-55. A. 40. V. 6. L. lat. 145. L. transv. — Coec. pyl. 16. 



Head rather elongate and pointed, its length being much more than one-half of 

 the distance between ventral and anal fins. Vent midway between the root of the 

 caudal and the eye. Eye large, oval, its horizontal longest diameter being rather more 



