248 Dr. A. Giinther on Deep-sea Fishes 



XXVIII. — Preliminary Notices of Deep- Sea Fishes collected 

 during the Voyage of H.M.S. ^Challenger.'' By Dr. Albert 

 GiJNTHER, F.R.S., Keeper of the Zoological Department, 

 British Museum. 



[Continued from p. 187.] 



Bathylagus, g. n. Salmonid. 



Body oblong, compressed, covered with thin deciduous 

 scales of moderate size. No phosphorescent organs. Head 

 short, rather compressed, with thin membranaceous bones. 

 Mouth very narrow, transverse, anterior ; the margin of the 

 upper jaw is formed by the intermaxillary and maxillary, 

 which is very short, dilated. Teeth in the intermaxillary 

 rudimentary; those of the lower jaw extremely small, im- 

 planted on the edge of the bone, forming a minute serrature ; 

 a series of minute teeth across the vomer and along the pala- 

 tine. Eye very large. Pectoral and ventral fins developed ; 

 the latter seven-rayed and inserted opposite to the dorsal, at 

 considerable distance from the pectoral. Dorsal fin in the 

 middle of the length of the body ; adipose fin small, not very 

 far from the caudal. Anal fin of moderate length or many- 

 rayed. Gill-opening narrowed, commencing opposite to the 

 root of the pectoral, and extending across the isthmus, the 

 gill-membranes being united and not attached to the isthmus. 

 Gill-rakers lanceolate, rather long ; gills small ; pseudo- 

 brancliiffi well developed. 



Bathylagus antarcticus. 

 D. 10. A. 22. 



The length of the head is nearly two ninths of the total 

 (without caudal) ; the eye one half of the length of the head. 

 Antarctic, 1950 fathoms. 



Bathylagus atlanticus. 



D. 9. A. 13. 



The length of the head is two ninths of the total (without 

 caudal) ; the eye one half of the length of the head. 

 South Atlantic, 2040 fathoms. 



Alepocephalus niger. 

 D. 21. A. 27. 

 Scales small. The Icno-th of the liead is one third of the 



