170 DEEP SEA FISHES. 



tapering slightly forward, nearly one fourth of the entire length including 

 the caudal fin. Snout longer than the eye, the length being twice that of 

 the interorbital space, somewhat broad, blunt. Mouth wide, lower jaw 

 shorter than the upper, maxillary reaching nearly half the length of the 

 head, broad and truncate posteriorly. Teeth small, in villiform bands on 

 the jaws, vomer, and palatines. Vomer decurved in front, bringing the 

 curved band of teeth prominently down on the roof of the mouth. Eyes 

 large, about one sixth as long as the head, shorter than the snout, supero- 

 lateral, in length twice the width of the interorbital space. Nostrils distant 

 from one another, posterior nearer to the eye than to ihe end of the snout, 

 anterior near the lip in front. First branchial arch with two rudimentary 

 rakers on the upper section, and tliree short compressed ones and half a 

 dozen rudiments on the lower branch. Gill openings very wide; membranes 

 little if any united, free from the isthmus ; laminte very short. No pseudo- 

 branchite. A strong opercular spine, as long as the orbit; no other spines on 

 the head. The distance from the snout to tlie mandibular angle is equal to 

 that from the eye to the end of the opercular spine. Skull deeply excavated 

 for the muciparous channels. Dorsal and anal fins imited with the slender 

 caudal. Tlie distance from the occiput to the origin of the dorsal, midway 

 between the pectorals and the vent, is equal to that from the occiput to the 

 end of the snout. Anal fin originating slightly behind the middle of the 

 total length, below the twenty-nintli ray of the dorsal. No ventrals. Pec- 

 torals simple, not wide, half as long as the head. No pyloric appendages. 

 Lateral line faintly indicated on the forward portion of the body. Scales 

 small, very thin and flexible. 



Brownish; head lighter; fins light; belly and gill chamber blackish. 



Acanthonus spinifer sp. n. 



Plate F, figs. 3, 3 a. 



Br. r. 8 ; D. 101 ; A. 91 ; V. 2 ; P. 16 ; C. 8. 



Head large, tliick, high, two sevenths of the total length. Snout to anal 

 fin about one third of the total. Body cavity short, not half as long as the 

 head. Behind the cavity the caudal section is much compressed and taper- 

 ing. Cephalic spines situated as in A. armatns ; the spine at the upper angle 

 of the oporcle is slender and about half as long as the head ; those on the 



