Indian Deep-sea Fishes. 149 



the body and the small pectorals lie close to the ventral 

 profile. 



The general structure and arrangement of the stomach, 

 pyloric appendages, and intestine are as described in 

 X. Guentheri. 



A single specimen, 6 inches long, from off the Andamans, 

 370-419 fath. 



This species is extremely closely related to X. socialis, 

 Vaillant (' Travailleur ' et ' Talisman ' Poissons, pp. 162-165, 

 pi, xiii. fig. 1), and to X. Guentheri, mihi (Ann. & Mag. Nat. 

 Hist., Nov. 1892, p. 359, pi. xviii. fig. 3), but is readily dis- 

 tinguished from both by the conspicuous lateral line. 



Family Halosauridae . 



Halosaurjchthys, Alcock. 



Halosaurichthys nigerrimus, sp. n. 



B. 12. D. circ. 12. P. circ. 9. V. 8. 



This species very closely resembles Halosaurichthys carini- 

 cauda (Alcock, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., Dec. 1889, p. 451 ; 

 Illustrations of the Zoology of the ' Investigator,' Fishes, 

 pi. vii. figs. 2, 2 a), but may be recognized by the following 

 specific characters : — (1) The maxilla reaches to the level of 

 the anterior edge of the pupil ; (2) the dorsal fold is simply a 

 low fold of skin, which begins at an enlarged scale about two 

 thirds of a head-length behind the dorsal fin and is not con- 

 tinued to the end of the tail ; (3) the pectoral fins are ex- 

 tremely narrow and reach much more than halfway to the 

 origin of the ventrals; (4) the colour is uniform jet-black. 



Off Maldives, 459 fath. 



Family Muraenidae. 



Nettenchelys, gen. no v. 



Nettenchelys is closely related to Nettastoma and Sauren- 

 chelys, but the tail does not taper to a point and the teeth are 

 very different. 



Body stout ; tail longer than the combined head and trunk. 

 Muciferous cavities of head well developed ; snout much 

 produced, broad, depressed ; mouth-cleft very wide, broad 

 bands of small conical teeth in jaws and vomer; tongue not 

 free ; a tubular nostril situated dorsally near the tip of the 

 snout on either side. Gill-openings of moderate size, well 



