ON THE OCCURRENCE OF 



BENTHODESMUS ATLANTICUS GOODE AND BEAN 



ON THE COAST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA 



Bv C. H. GILBERT 



PROFESSOR OF ZOOLOGY, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, CAL. . 



A specimen of Benthodesmus, 41^ inches long, was obtained May 

 30, 19 16, from a fish dealer in Victoria, B. C, having been caught by 

 fishermen oiT Bentinck Island, which lies near Race Rocks, about ten 

 miles by water from Victoria. The specimen is the property of the 

 Provincial Museum of Victoria, and has been submitted to us for 

 identification by Mr. F. Kermode, the Director of the Museum. 



Description: Greatest width of body 2f in height at vent. Length 

 of caudal peduncle half greatest height of body. Least height of tail 

 ^ bony interorbital width. Greatest width of head ^ its length. 

 Greatest height of head 3^ in its length. Width of interorbital area 

 (bony) \ height of head. Length of snout 2\ in head. Tip of 

 maxillary not reaching the orbit, the length of maxillary equaling 

 the postorbital part of head. Length of lower jaw i| times greatest 

 height of body. Flexible part of mandibular tip short in the preserved 

 specimen, about \ diameter of orbit. Eye postmedian, 5^ in head, 

 2^ in length of snout. 



Sides of maxillary with 9 or 10 triangular teeth, which decrease 

 from middle of sides of jaw both forwards and backwards. Two 

 pairs of narrow compressed fangs in the anterior part of the upper 

 jaw, the anterior pair immediately behind the tip, the posterior pair 

 separated by a considerable interspace, but located in front of the 

 series of compressed lateral teeth already described. In advance of 

 the most anterior of the compressed lateral teeth, a series of 6 or 7 

 short slender conical teeth continued forwards to the anterior pair of 

 fangs and passing outside the posterior pair of fangs. Side of 

 mandible with 14 or 15 compressed triangular teeth in a single series, 

 decreasing in length forwards, and inclined slightly towards the front 

 of the jaw. In advance of these, on each side of the symphysis, are 

 two pairs of short retrorsely directed teeth, the anterior pair much 

 shorter than the posterior pair. Other bones of the mouth toothless. 



First gill-arch with 4 or 5 to 7 or 8 slender short distant rakers, 

 the longest about 2 mm. in length. Each rises from a plate which 



Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, Vol. 66, No. 18 



