216 DEEP SEA FISHES. 



Macrurus tenuicauda sp. n. 

 Plate XLIX. fy. 1. 



Br. r. 7-6 ; D. 10-9 + ?; A. ca. 141 ; V. 8; P. 25. 



Form somewhat like that of M. flicauda Glint., but more slender, with 

 wider and longer snout, larger eye, smaller mouth, and rough scales. Body 

 compressed ; tail very slender ; total length about five times the length of the 

 head, nine times the greatest depth, or nearly four times the distance from the 

 end of the snout to the first anal ray. Head rather elongate, about as wide as 

 high, subtriangular in transverse section, narrow and convex across the nape 

 or the crown, wide and sharp-angled at the suborbital ridge and the rostral 

 edges, broad and pointed forward. Snout prominent, sharp pointed, wide 

 across the lower surface, which is flat and straight, arched across the top, 

 with pronounced angles in front of the nostrils each like the median angle 

 bearing a small bunch or rosette of spines. Orbital ridges diverging and 

 turning abruptly outward in front of the nares, with branches backward as 

 if to meet at the nape in an acute angle. Length of snout one and one 

 third times that of tlie eye. Interorbital space conve.x transversely ; crown 

 straight from the nape to the end of the snout. Eye large, hardly three 

 fourths as long as the snout, four fifteenths of the length of the head. 

 From the end of the snout to the intermaxillary is not much less than from 

 the same point to the eye. Mouth small, inferior; the end of the maxil- 

 lary subtends three fifths of the eye. Teeth very small, in short villiform 

 bands, subequal ; those of the lower jaws crowded near to the sjinphysis. 

 Suborbital angle prominent, sharp, continued to the preopercle. Branchios- 

 tegal rays commonly seven, frequently six ; in each case there are seven 

 either on one side or the other or on both sides. Barbel very small, slender, 

 nearly one fourth as long as the eye. The rostrum has the appearance of 

 bifurcation at the tip. First dorsal with nine or ten rays, anterior above 

 the axil of the pectoral, second with prominent and sharp prickles; base 

 about as long as the eye, or the interspace between the dorsals. Second 

 dorsal low and feeble. Anal well developed, originating below the hind ex- 

 tremity of the base of the first dorsal. Vent at two thirds of the distance 

 from the bases of the ventrals to the base of the anal. Pectorals and ven- 

 trals small, bases of the latter below those of the former. Tail slender and 

 thread-like backward. Scales medium, rough, with four to five equal keels 

 each of which bears minute serrations or spines. Cephalic ridges roughened 



