Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America, 2479 



veiitrals none. Body tapering very rapidly backward; the tail very slen- 

 der. Deep-sea fishes, of soft substance, allied to Bothrocara, but with 

 stronger teeth. (yue'Aas, black; tiTiypa, spot.) 



a. Maxillary reaching beyond front of pupil ; color purplish gray, becoming black on 



* he taiL GELATINOSUM, 2843. 



aa. Maxillary not reaching beyond vertical from front of pupil; color uniform deep 

 black - PAMMELAS, 2844. 



2843. MELANOSTIGMA GELATINOSUM, Gunther. 



Body enveloped in a loose, delicate skin, as in lAparis. Head large, 

 deep, compressed, with obtuse snout. Eye large, 3 in head, and longer 

 than snout. Cleft of mouth rather oblique, but lower jaw not projecting 

 beyond upper; lips not fleshy ; gill opening reduced to a very narrow fora- 

 men above base of pectoral fin ; origin of dorsal fin and root of pectoral 

 enveloped in loose skin of body ; dorsal fin probably commencing above 

 middle of pectoral, low at first, but becoming considerably higher posteri- 

 orly ; pectorals very narrow, consisting of a few rays only. Upper parts 

 tinged with a purplish-gray ; sides marbled with same color, which toward 

 end of tail becomes more intense, almost black; inside of mouth, gill 

 openings, and vent black. Total length of the type specimen 5 inches; 

 distance of the snout from the gill opening $ inches, from the vent 1| 

 inches. (Gunther.) Deep waters of the western Atlantic; originally 

 known from the Straits of Magellan, but since obtained at various locali- 

 ties from Cape Cod to West Indies, in 500 to 1,000 fathoms. The identity 

 of these specimens with the original types from South America may be 

 questionable, (gelatinosus, jelly-like.) 



Melanostigma gelatinosum, GtJNTHER, Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1881, 21, Tilly Bay, Straits 

 of Magellan, in 24 fathoms (Coll. H. M. S. Alert, Dr. Coppinger) ; GUNTHER, Chal- 

 lenger Report, xxn, 82, 1887 ; GOODE & BEAN, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., x, No. 5, 209, 1883 ; 

 JORDAN, Cat. Fish. N. A., 125, 1885 ; GOODE & BEAN, Oceanic Ichthyology, 314, 1896. 



2844. MELANOSTIGMA PAMMELAS, Gilbert. 



Head 8 in total length; depth 12-J; pectoral narrow, its length 2f in 

 head ; eye large, 3| in head ; snout short and broad. 7 in head. Well dis- 

 tinguished from M. gdatinosum by the wider, blunter head, the smaller, 

 less oblique mouth, the uniform black coloration, and the arrangement of 

 the teeth in the jaws in 2 series. As in M. gelatin oaum, the head and 

 body are enveloped in a loose, thin skin, which is thrown into folds in 

 alcoholic specimens, and entirely conceals anterior portion of dorsal and 

 anal fins. On dissection the dorsal is seen to have its origin close behind 

 the head, at a point over middle of pectoral fin; anal beginning imme- 

 diately behind vent, the rays of both fins enveloped in a gelatinous, sub- 

 cutaneous tissue. Head broad, with its greatest width equaling its 

 greatest depth; mouth broad, somewhat oblique, with equal jaws, the 

 maxillary reaching vertical from front of pupil; each jaw with teeth in 

 two distinct series in front, in a single series laterally in lower jaw, the 

 outer teeth in front enlarged, almost canine-like. Gill opening a small 

 pore above base of pectoral, its diameter about that of eye. Color 

 intense black on head and abdomen, brownish black elsewhere. Length 



