collected daring the Voyage of the ^ Challenger.^ 181 



Malacosteus indicus. 



D. 18. A. 20. P. 2. V. 6. 



Closely allied to M. niger^ but with a pair of long curved 

 fangs on the extremity of the mandible. 

 Pacific, 500 fathoms. 



Bathyophis, g. n. Stomiatid. 



Body extremely narrow and elongate, snake-like, naked. 

 Vent far behind the middle of the length of the body. Head 

 large, compressed, with the snout of moderate length, and with 

 the cleft of the mouth nearly as long as the head. Teeth in 

 the jaws extremely large, numerous, of unequal size, depres- 

 sible. Similar teeth on the tongue and on each side of the 

 vomer. Eye rather small. Opercular portion of the head 

 narrow. A long barbel anteriorly on the hyoid. The dorsal 

 commences above the ventrals, and extends nearly to the anal ; 

 the anal also is long, commencing behind the vent. Pectorals 

 none. Ventrals inserted before the middle of the length of 

 the body. A small phosphorescent organ above the middle of 

 the upper jaw, and a series of small luminous dots along each 

 side of the abdomen and along the outer ventral ray. Similar 

 organs on the tail. Gill-openings extremely wide. 



Atlantic. 



Bathyophis ferox. 



D. 60. A. 45. V. 3. 



Barbel much longer than the head. Black. 

 Middle of North Atlantic, 2750 fathoms. 



Bathysaueus, g. n. Scopelid. 



Shape of the body similar to that of Sawus, subcylindrical, 

 elongate, covered with small scales. Head depressed, with 

 the snout produced, flat above. Cleft of the mouth very 

 wide, with the lower jaw projecting ; intermaxillary very long, 

 styliform, tapering, not movable. Teeth in the jaws in broad 

 bands, not covered by lips, curved, imequal in size, and barbed 

 at the end. A series of similar teeth runs along the whole 

 length of each side of the palate ; a few teeth on the tongue 

 and groups of small ones on the hyoid. Eye of moderate 

 size, lateral. Pectoral of moderate length. Ventral 8-rayed, 

 inserted immediately behind the pectoral. Dorsal fin in tlie 

 middle of the length of the body, with about eighteen rays. 

 Adipose fin absent or present. Anal of modenife length. 



