842 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum, 



taken from Station 2190, at a depth of 1,800 fathoms ; also two small indi- 

 viduals from Station 2535, at a depth of 1,149 fathoms. (Goode & Bean.) 

 (sub, below ; orbitus, orbit.) 

 Plectromns suborbitalis, GILL, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vi, 1883, 258, latitude 38 52', longitude 



69 24', 1,735 fathoms. (Type, No. 33271. Coll. Albatross); GOODE & BEAN, Oceanic Ichth., 



179, fig. 201, 1895. 



1223. PLECTROMUS LUGTJBRIS (Gilbert). 



D. Ill, 15; A. I, 8; scales 26. Head very broad and heavy, the snout 

 extremely broad and short, its anterior profile nearly vertical. Mouth very 

 oblique, the lower jaw protruding beyond the upper, the premaxillaries 

 anteriorly on level of lower margin of pupil, the maxillary reaching vertical 

 from its posterior margin, 2| in head; snout 4^, its width equaling the length 

 of snout and eye ; interorbital width 2f ; eye 6|. Teeth minute, uniform, 

 in a single series in upper jaw and in front of mandible, the lower jaw 

 laterally with a narrow band. Vomer and palatines toothless. Interor- 

 bital space strongly convex, as well as rest of head deeply excavated for 

 mucoue canals, which are covered with a very delicate integument con- 

 spicuously marked with fine parallel or radiating striae. Bones firm and 

 cartilaginous, not papery nor with thin membranous expansions as in other 

 related species. Margins of preopercle entire, the bone firm, the posterior 

 angle scarcely produced, evenly rounded, the margin nearly vertical. No 

 evident ridge on opercle, which terminates posteriorly in a flexible rounded 

 process without spine. Mandibles meeting along median line posteriorly, 

 but not forming a ridge. Gill rakers as long as eye, slender, about 14 

 below angle. Dorsal spines very weak, the third half as high as first soft 

 ray. Posterior line of occiput midway between tip of snout and origin 

 of dorsal. Base of dorsal equals length of head behind middle of eye. 

 Anal small, its origin under base of last dorsal ray, the length of its base 

 equaling half interorbital width ; spine slender, about f longest soft ray ; 

 pectorals long, slender, falcate, with 14 rays, the longest If- in head. 

 Ventrals half head, not reaching vent. Scales large, caducous, with 

 entire edges, covering theopercles but lacking elsewhere on head. Uni- 

 form brownish black, the fins dusky ; mouth, gill cavity, and peritoneum 

 black. A single specimen, 3i inches long, from Albatross station 2923, in 

 822 fathoms. This species resembles very closely M. typhlops, as figured 

 by Giinther (Deep-sea Fishes, Challenger, PI. v, Fig. A). In typhlops the 

 mouth is evidently larger, and the species is described as having 6 dorsal 

 spines and 11 rays, although the artist has represented it with D. Ill, 14. 

 (Gilbert.) (lugubris, sorrowful, dark.) 



Melamphaes lugubris, GILBERT, T'roc. IT. S. Nat. Mus., 1890 (1891), 59, Albatross station 2923, coast 

 of California, south of Point Concepcion, in 822 fathoms. (Coll. Albatross.) 



1224. PLECTROMUS BEANII (Giinther). 



Head 3 ; depth 3; eye 4*. D. II, 11 or 12; A. I, 8 or 9 ; V. I, 7 ; P. 15 ; 

 scales about 25. Pectoral as long as head, more than twice length of ven- 

 tral, which does not reach vent. Black. (Bean.) Gulf Stream in deep 

 water. (Named for Tarleton Hoffman Bean.) 



