Jordan and Evcrmann. Fishes of North America. 2581 



width about 2f in length of head; postorbital portion of head about | its 

 length, 1 as long as eye, which is circular, its diameter contained 2* times 

 in length of head. Snout broad, very obtuse, its width at nostril nearly 

 equal to iuterorbital width, its length 4f times in that of the head ; nostrils 

 normal. Teeth in each jaw in villiforin bands, very small; a naked space 

 at the symphysis of intennaxillaries ; vomer and palatine toothless. Gill- 

 rakers very short, minute, and rather numerous, about 18 below angle of 

 anterior arch. Pseudobranchiu; absent. Barbel | as long as eye. First 

 dorsal composed of 2 spines, the first minute, inserted at a distance from 

 the snout equal to length of head, the second as long as head without snout, 

 and 10 branched rays, its base equal to diameter of eye; second dorsal 

 almost rudimentary, its rays remarkably short, about 133 in number, its 

 distance from first dorsal length of head; anal much higher than second 

 dorsal, its distance from snout contained about 3| times in total length; 

 anterior anal rays longest, in length about diameter of eye; pectoral 

 inserted under first branched ray of first dorsal, its length equal to twice 

 that of eye and about that of head. Scales (on type) mostly wanting, 

 except a few on breast and nape, these being rough with small points, 

 dentate behind. Ventral slightly behind the pectoral, its first ray fila- 

 mentous, reaching to the base of the tenth anal ray, consisting of 11 rays. 

 Color gray, with silvery tints on sides; abdomen and lips dark. (Goode 

 & Bean. ) Gulf of Mexico, in deep water. One young individual known. 

 Length 162 mm. (cavernosus, cavernous.) 



Bathygadus cavernosug, GOODE & BEAN, Proc. TJ. S. Nat. Mus. 1885, 598, Gulf of Mexico, 

 at Albatross Station 2398, Lat. 28 45' N., Long. 86 26' W., in 227 fathoms (Type, 

 "No. 37337. Coll. Albatross) ; GUNTHER, Challenger Report, xxn, 156, 1887. 



Hymenocephalus cavernosus, GOODE & BEAN, Oceanic Ichthyology, 408, fig. 341, 1896. 



1006. MACROURUS, Bloch. 



Macrourus, BLOCH, Ichth., v, 152, 1787 (rupestris = berglctx). 



Macruroplus, BLEEKER, Versl. Med. Akad. Welenth, Amsterdam, 1874, 369 (serratus). 



Macrurus, GUNTHER, Cat., iv, 392, 1862 ; corrected spelling. 



Snout broadly conical, high, projecting beyond mouth ; mouth moderate, 

 its cleft horizontal, U-shaped, entirely inferior ; teeth in both jaws invilli- 

 fonn bands, those of the outer series not enlarged ; head with roughened 

 bony ridges, one of which, on the suborbital and preorbital, simulates the 

 suborbital stay of the Cottoids ; eyes very large ; scales imbricate, very 

 rough, keeled. Dorsal spine long, serrated on the anterior edge. Deep 

 water fishes, (juanfjos, long ; ovpd, tail, hence correctly written Macrur.us, 

 but Maorourus is the original name as given by Bloch.) 



a. Top of head with 4 to 6 distinct ridges; depth 6 to 7 in length; 5 scales between lat- 

 eral line and dorsal. 



6. Anal rays 148; scales each with a strong ridge. BERGLAX, 2957. 



&&. Anal rays 121; scales each with 3 to 5 spinules, otherwise almost unarmed; 

 ridges on top of head very rough. HOLOTRACHYS, 2958. 



aa. Top of snout with indistinct ridges or with none. 

 c. Pectoral fin moderate, 1J to 2 in head. 



d. Body rather elongate, the depth 7 to 8 in length; bones of head rather 

 firm; dorsal spine strongly serrated. 



