148 THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 



Subgenus Malacocephalus. 



Malacoeephalus, Gthr. 



Macrurus Isevis (PL XXXIX. fig. B). 



Macrurus Ixvis, Lowe, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1843, p. 92. 

 ,^^ Malacocephalus Isevis, Giinth., Fish., vol. iv. p. 397. 



j' ^ „ „ Liitken, Vid. Meddel. nat. Foreu. Kj0benhavn, 1872, p. 1. 



i D. 13-14. P. 17. V. 9. ^ 



Head compressed, with vertical sides ; muciferous cavities wide. Snout obtusely 

 conical, slightly projecting beyond the mouth, the cleft of which is oblique, anterior and 

 lateral, and extending somewhat behind the middle of the eye. Teeth of the upper jaw 

 biserial, those of the outer series much stronger than the inner ; mandibulary teeth 

 uniserial. Barbel shorter than the eye. The interorbital space flat, its width being equal 

 to, or less than the diameter of the eye, which is large, longer than the snout, and one- 

 third or two-sevenths of the length of the head. Scales very small, much deeper than 

 long, covered with short minute bristles. Prseoperculum with the posterior margin 

 slightly excised above the angle, and with the lower margin not serrated. The entire 

 head is covered with minute rough scales. Anterior dorsal s^jine smooth. Pectoral fin 

 about two-thirds of the length of the head. The vent (fig. h) is close to the root of the 

 veutrals, which reach beyond it ; it lies at the end of an oval scaleless depression, and 

 there is another triangular scaleless space between the roots of the ventrals. Distance 

 between the vent and isthmus two-thirds of the length of the head. 



Brownish above, sides silvery ; axil, ventrals and the region in front of them black ; 

 branchial cavity partly black, inside of the mouth white. 



Habitat. — This fish has been hitherto found at Madeira and in the Mediterranean ; 

 and once on the coast of Denmark. The Challenger Expedition obtained a specimen, 

 17^- inches long, off the coast of Pernambuco (Station 122), in 350 fathoms. 



Macrurus macrochir (PI. XXIX. fig. B). 



Macrums macrochii; Giinth., Ann. and j\lag. Nat. Hist., 1877, vol. xx. p. 438. 



D. 11. P. 18. V. 7. 



Head rather compressed, elongate, with vertical sides. Snout produced, tetrahedral, 

 rather longer than the large eye. Interorbital space nearly flat, its width being somewhat 

 more than the diameter of the eye, which is contained four and one-third times in the 

 length of the head. Infraorbital ridge low. Mouth rather wide, lateral, the inter- 

 maxillary shorter than the maxillary. Barbel very small. Teeth coarsely villiform in a 



