REPORT ON THE DEEP-SEA FISHES. 167 



Solea kaiana. 



long, 



Solea kaiana, Giinth., Report on the Shore Fishes, Zool, Chall. Exp., pt. vi. p. 49, pi. xxi. 



fig. C. 



Habitat. — Ki Islands, Station 192; depth, 140 fathoms. One specimen, 4^ inches 



Aphoristia, Kaup. 

 Aphoristia nehulosa. 



Aphoristia nehulosa, Goode and Bean, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zobl, ser. 5, vol x., 1883, p. 192. 



Habitat. — One specimen, Z\ inches long, was obtained by the U.S. steamer " Blake," 

 in lat. 32° N., long. 78° 37' W.; at a depth of 229 fathoms. 



PHYSOSTOMI. 

 Family Sternoptychid^.' 

 Argyropelecus, Cocco. 

 Argyropelecus hemigymnus, Cocco. 



Common in the Mediterranean and neighbouring parts of the Atlantic, and frequently 

 caught at night in the surface net. During the cruise of the " Porcupine " an adult 

 example was obtained between Shetland and Faroe, at a depth of 180 fathoms. It 

 would therefore appear that this fish is of nocturnal habits, living during the day at 

 a depth from the surface, which varies according to circumstances. 



It is also reported by Messrs. Goode and Bean among the fishes obtained by the 

 U.S. steamers "Blake" and '-'Fish Hawk," at depths of 225 and 245 fathoms.'' 



Argyropelecus olfersii, Cuv. 



This species, like its congeners, has been hitherto considered to be a pelagic species of 

 the Atlantic, which now and then is found as far north as the coast of Norway. But 

 the naturalists of the Challenger obtained a specimen, 21 inches long, at Station I. (ofl 

 Cape Finisterre), by the dredge, which had reached a depth of 1125 fathoms. 



> If Mr. Jordan (Cat. Fish. N. Amer., p. 45) takes exception to the expression which I have used (Cat. Fish., vol. 

 V. p. 384) in the diagnosis of this family, " a rudimentary spinous dorsal fin," and explains that " this appearance is due 

 to the projection of one or more of Ihe several spines Ijeyond the muscles, and is in no proper sense a rudiment of a 

 fin,"— he sliould have added that this explanation of the terra used was first given by myself {loc. ciL, p. 385). In the 

 diagnosis of the genus Argyropelecus, which he copies from my worli, he has introduced (probably by a slip of the pen) 

 a misleading error in describing the gill-opening as " very short," whilst, in fact, it is " very wide. 



' Bull. Mus. Com}]. Zoo!., vol. x., 1883, p. 220. 



