142 DEEP SEA FISHES. 



in the breeding season. Of nine parcels of specimens eight were caught on 

 the soft mud and one on the sand. 



The genus Lepophidium includes several species from the Atlantic coasts 

 of the United States to the Caribbean Sea and Brazil, and as many, rather 

 more closely allied, from the Eastern Pacific. 



OPHIDIID.E. 

 Lepophidiuin emmelas. 



Leptophidium emmelas Gilb., 1890, I'l'. U. S. Mus., 110. 

 Plate LXXIU. Jig. 3, Lat. Si/st. 



Br. r. 7; D. 105-109; A. 83-91; V. 2; P. 25-27; C. 10; LL 130-138; 

 Coeca 5, rudimentary. 



Total length of specimen described seven and one half inches ; head one 

 and seven eighths. Body compressed, tapering to an acute point, greatest 

 depth four filfths of the length of the head, or less than one fifth of the 

 total. Head moderately large, near one fourth of the length without the 

 caudal, somewhat thick, as wide as high, depressed anteriorly, nearly straight 

 from snout to nape, where tlie outline rises a little higher. Snout broad, 

 short, two thirds as long as the eye, blunt, prominent in a forward directed 

 rostral spine, behind which a short distance another spine is directed 

 upward. Mouth wide, lower jaws included ; maxillary widened at the end, 

 which reaches little farther backward than the eye, not in contact with the 

 cleft. Teeth small, in villiform bands of one to several series each, on jaws, 

 palatines and vomer. Vomerine band forming an angle with apex forward, 

 or arched with sides slightly curved near the outer ends. Eye large, one 

 and one half times as long as the snout, one fourth as long as the head, 

 wider than the interorbital space. A short, inconspicuous spine at the 

 hinder edge of each jDOsterior nostril ; anterior nostrils semitubular. One 

 specimen has two upright spines behind the rostral. Gill rakers slender, 

 longest half as long as the eye, one upper and nine lower developed, besides 

 several rudiments. Vertical fins continuous, anal little deeper than dorsal, 

 caudal acute ; dorsal origin above axil of pectoral ; anal origin about two 

 lengths of the head from the snout. Pectorals short, rather broad, half as 

 long as the head. Ventrals below the forward end of the hyoid, inner ray 

 longer, half the length of the head. The ventrals appear to be in advance 

 of the humeral symphysis, but really are included b}^ two long processes 



