10 EXPEDITION OF THE "ALBATROSS," 1899-1900. 



extending from the surface down to, say 300 fathoms, at the outside, to 

 undertake to classify them into distinct series extending from the surl'ace 

 to great depths. What is still needed is a carefid exploration of the bathy- 

 nietrical range of the pelagic fauna on a line extending far out to sea from 

 a continental slope into great depths, and a similar line along a great 

 oceanic current far from any disturbing element such as an archipelago 

 or submarine plateaus. 



If we knew all the species of the so-called pelagic belt it would be a 

 different thing; but when the peculiar fish with pedunculated eyes which 

 Chun calls a deep-sea fish, and specially characteristic of intermediate 

 depths, is found by us at 100 fathoms, this, as well as the many other 

 fishes and so-called deep-sea Crustacea, Holothurians, Ascidians, and Meduste 

 which we caught at or about the 100-fathom line in this and in my 

 former expeditions, plainly shows that as yet we are very far from know- 

 ing the species which inhabit the belt between 100 fathoms or more and 

 the surface.' No deep-sea expedition using better and newer appliances 

 has as yet failed to bring up within these limits some so-called new 

 deep-sea species if they happen to have brought it up when dropping the 

 net in greater depths, while the next explorer again brings it up from 

 inside the 100-fathom line. (See note.) I still reiterate that near the 

 bottom, and some distance above it, a certain number of so-called 

 pelagic species undoubtedly live, as well as in proximity to the con- 

 tinental slopes ; but that is no criterion of the mode of distribution of 

 pelagic life at sea far away from continental areas. When thus caught 



Is OTE. — I may mention among the Fishes : Collettia, Scopelus, Myctophum, Argy- 

 ropeleeus, Folyipnus, Plectromus, Paralepis, Stomias, Malacosteus, Eustomias, Melam- 

 phaes, Trachichthys, Stei-noptyx, Cyclothone, Gonostoma, Notoscopelus, Lampanyctus, 

 Cyenia,Caulolepis, IIoplostethus,Chaunax,and Melanocetus. Among the Crustacea: Gnatho- 

 phausia, Thysanopoda, Bentheuphausia, Willemossia, Stylocheiron, Nematoscelis, Eu- 

 I)hausia, Syriella, Nyctiphanes, Sergestes, BunthcBcetes. The remarkable Ascidian Octac- 

 nemus. The pelagic Holothuriau Pelagothuria, and the greater number of the so-called 

 deep-sea Medusae : Atolla, Periphylla, and Nauphauta, as well as a number of so-called 

 deep-sea Siphonophores, Bathypliysa, and the like, which are caught by the wire rope, 



' Die Deutsche Tiofsce ExpeJitioa 1808-93, Berlin, 181)9, p. oi. Zeits. d. Gl'ScU. f. EiUkunde 

 ZU Berlin, 189!), XXIV., Heft 2. 



