98 DEEP SEA FISHES. 



tractile, upper lobe capable of being thrown forward and down in front of the 

 mouth. Mouth large, width two thirds of the length of the skull, slightly 

 ascending forward, jaws strongl}^ curved laterallj', articular prominence little 

 backward of a vertical from the hind margin of the eye ; lower jaws longer, 

 prominent in front of the rostrum. Teeth on jaws and tongue in broad 

 villiform bands ; a pair of round groups of pharyngeal teeth, smaller than 

 the eye, on each side ; no teeth on vomer or palatines. Orbit large ; eye 

 rather small, shorter than the snout, half as wide as the interorbital space. 

 Gills two, none on the first and fourth arches ; rakers short rounded 

 tubercles, six on the first arch, seven on the second ; gill openings as large 

 as the eye or larger, placed superiorly in the axillae. Branchiostegal rays 

 six, outer one larger, extending to the hinder edge of the disk, joined to 

 the suboperculum. Opercles broad; suboperculuui rounded at the outer 

 angle of the disk, process hardly noticeable on large specimens, but more 

 prominent and bearing four to six spines on young individuals. Stomach 

 siphonal, intestine short, no pyloric Cfeca. Spines of medium size, moder- 

 ately rough, unequal, not close together, simple over the upper and the 

 lower surfaces of disk and tail, two to three cusped along the edges 

 anteriorly, smaller below, stronger in two or more series on the tail, small, 

 and in two to three series on the top of the orbit. Lateral line distinct, 

 fringes above the papillaa between the spines at the sides of the line 

 comparatively feeble. 



Dorsal origin on large specimens above the hindmost extremity of the 

 disk, but, owing to less extent of disk, farther back on small ones ; base of 

 fin shorter tlian the eye, greatest length two thirds of the length of the 

 skull ; anal very narrow, nearly as long as the dorsal, originating backward 

 of the base of the latter one length of the orbit ; pectorals slender, as long 

 as the caudal, fringed, hinder rays short ; ventrals narrow, three fifths as 

 long as the skull, fringed, foremost rays shorter ; caudal narrow, five sixths 

 as long as the skull to the nape, hind margin convex. 



A specimen with the length of two and one fourth inches, having a 

 prominent subopercular tubercle and a pointed rostrum, is apparently 

 uniform blackish ; one four and one fourth inches long is blackish below 

 the disk, black with white tips on the fins, brownish on the vertebral region 

 and the tail, and brownish white over the disk ; and one six inches in 

 length is whiter over the whole body, probably having been some shade of 

 red in life. 



