Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 529 



"The thickness of the bones, the fragility of the fin rays, the delicacy of 

 the skin and scales, and the enormously large eyes, seem to be sufficient 

 evidence that these fishes are actually inhabitants of very great depths, 

 although there may be reasonable doubts as regards the exact depth at 

 which Batliylayus atlanticusw&s obtained. These fishes must, therefore, be 

 entirely dependent for vision on the phosphorescent light which is pro- 

 duced by other abyssal creatures. Not being fish of prey themselves, or 

 only to a slight degree, they would be attracted by the light issuing from 

 the Pediculates and Stomiatids of the deep, and thus fall an easy prey to 

 these fishes." (Giinther.) (/3aOv(;, deep; Aaywf, hare, from the big eyes.) 



a. Depth of body about equal to length of head; scales about 32. D. 9; A. 19. BENEDICTI, 802. 

 aa. Depth of body much less than length of head. 



b. Interorbital space a little more than half eye; eye 2 in head. EURYOPS, 803. 



bb. Interorbital space % eye; eye 2% i Q head. PACIFICUS, 804. 



802. BATHYLAGUS BENEDICTI, Goode & Bean. 



Intermediate between B. atlanticus and B. antarcticus. Head 4| ; depth <H ; 

 eye 2, as in the other species. The width of the interorbital space is less 

 than of that of the eye (proportionately narrower than in the other 

 species). Snout very short, 4 in eye. D. 9; A. 19 ; V. 9; P. 10. Mouth 

 short, its angle being about on a level with lower margin of eye. Bones 

 of head thin, semicartilaginous; head apparently scaleless ; no traces of 

 scales in the specimens before us. Gill cavity, membranes, and branchi- 

 ostegals as in the other species. Origin of dorsal fin nearer end of snout 

 than to base of caudal, and equidistant between snout and adipose fin, 

 its length 2| in head. Vent placed farther forward than in B. atlanticus, 

 the length of the postanal portion of the body being greater than that of 

 head, and contained 3^ times in the total without caudal; ventral fins 

 opposite posterior portion of base of dorsal. Scales all lost ; apparently in 

 about 32 longitudinal rows ; and their size may be judged by the fact that 

 there were 7 rows between base of pectoral and vertical from origin of 

 ventral. Adipose fin slender and long, 2 in eye. 



Several specimens obtained by the Fish Commission steamer Albatross : 

 One, 5| inches in length, from station 2094, at a depth of 1,022 fathoms; 

 another, 5| inches in length, from station 2711, at a depth of 1,344 fath- 

 oms; a third specimen, about 4| inches in length, from station 2572, at a 

 depth of 1,769 fathoms. (Goode & Bean.) (Named for James E. Benedict, 

 Asst. Curator of Invertebrates in the U. S. National Museum, for several 

 years resident naturalist on the Albatross.) 



Baihylagus benedicti, GOODE & BEAN, Oceanic Ichthyology, 55, fig. 64, 1895, Gulf Stream. 

 (Type, No. 33510. Coll. Albatross.) 



803. BATHTLAGUS EURYOPS, Goode & Bean. 



Head 4 : depth considerably less than length of head, equal to length 

 of head without snout ; eye 2. D. 9 ; A. 16 ; B. 7 ; P. 9. Width of inter- 

 orbital space a little more than | eye. Snout very short ; profile steep, 

 its angle 011 a level with lower margin of eye. All the bones of the head 

 very thin, semicartilaginous. Dorsal fin feeble, nearer tip of snout than 

 root of caudal. Vent far back, the length of tail not being much more 

 F . N . A . 35 



