50 DEEP SEA FISHES. 



Largest individual eight and one half inches. 



station. Latitude. Longitude. Depth. Temperature. Bottom. 



3397 ' 7° 3.3' N. 78° 34' 20" W. 85 fathoms .'J7.3° F. Stf. gn. m. brk. 



3387 7°40'N. 79° 17' 50" W. 127 " 56.2° F. Fine gray sand 



SCORPiENOIDS. 



On the list of deep sea fishes there is a larger projiortion of the Scorpae- 

 noids than of those provisionally grouped as Percoids. This is in accord 

 with the diiSerences in habits, the former being more habituated to the 

 bottom and recovering higher levels with less facility when carried down- 

 ward by impulse or accident. The greatest depth on the present record is 

 that noted by Vaillant in case of Sehastes Kuhlil Bowd., taken by the "Talis- 

 man" off the "Banc d'Arguin " in 1274 fathoms, and again off the coasts of 

 Soudan in 622 fathoms. The " Challenger'' Expedition as reported by Giin- 

 ther secured S. oculatus C.V. in the Straits of Magellan in 345 fathoms, and 

 S. macrochir Glint, off Inosima, Japan, at 365 fathoms. In the "Alba- 

 tross" collections from the northwestern Atlantic, Goode & Bean identified 

 S. marinus Linn, taken at depths of 55 to 917 fathoms; and from the east- 

 ern part of the North Atlantic Scorpceiia clactyloptcra De la Roche, in Vail- 

 lant's work on the fishes of the " Talisman," is given depths of 503 to 532 

 fathoms in the Mediteri'anean and off the Canaries. Species of the Seorpas- 

 noids that descend 100 to 250 fathoms are rather numerous; and it may' 

 be that all species, located where it is possible, range from the shoals to 

 considerable depths. Between the Atlantic and the Pacific across the 

 isthmus connections are more apparent and closer in this group than in the 

 preceding ; compare Scorpgena, Pontinus and Sebastes. 



The detailed discussion of the Scorptenidie has been transferred to 

 the report on the shore fishes, excepting in case of two forms de- 

 scribed below. One of the latter, Pontinus furcirhiims, properly belongs 

 with the shore fishes, though descending to 200 fathoms or more. Speci- 

 mens of small to medium sizes lacking the filaments and with jaws 

 about equal in length have outlines resembling to some extent those of 

 S. diploproa or S. aurora of Gilbert. The latter, however, have twenty-six 

 vertebrae, rarely twenty-five, while the present form has but twenty-four. 

 The .specific name fi(rcirhimis is given it because of the forked appearance 

 of the upper jaws, due to the great bunches of teeth. The other form 

 described here is a degenerate t3pe, in which the air bladder is ob.solete or 



