PARMATURUS PILOSUS. 89 



PaRMATURUS PILOSUS. 



Plate 8, fig. 1-5. 

 Parmaturus pilosus Gasman, 1906, Bull. M. C. Z., 46, p. 204. 



Body elongate, slender. Head broad, slightly arched above; snout broad, 

 deep, blunt at the end as seen from the side, broadly rounded as seen from above. 

 Tail long, compressed;" caudal fin not deep, without a prominent subcaudal 

 lobe, surmounted in three fifths of its length from its origin by a couple of series 

 of enlarged scales separated by four series of small ones forming a comparatively 

 broad armature immediately below each edge of which there is a narrow space 

 free from scales that is probably sensory, or light producing. Nostrils large, 

 equal in width to their distance apart, or to their distance from the end of 

 the snout which latter is about three times their distance from the mouth. 

 Anterior nasal valves short, without cirri, with a well developed rounded lobe 

 crossing the middle of the nasal cavity, widely separated from one another; 

 posterior valves short, not continuous with the anterior around the inner edge 

 of the nostril. Mouth large, in width equal to two and one third times the 

 length, or one and one half times the length of the snout; labial folds short, 

 passing around the angles, of equal length on the jaws. Teeth compressed, 

 asymmetrical; cusps sharp, varying in number from five to seven or nine, upper 

 more often with six of which the fourth from the inner edge is largest, lower 

 commonly with five, the third largest. Eye large, three fourths as long as the 

 snout. Spiracle small, near the eye, in width equal to the distance from the 

 orbit. Gill openings small, width of the foremost equal to half the length of 

 the orbit, hindmost two above the pectoral, posterior one less than half the width 

 of the foremost, much narrower than either of the first three. 



Dorsal fins equal, middle of the base of the first dorsal in the middle of the 

 total length, origin backward of that of the ventrals, base equal to two thirds 

 of its distance from the second dorsal. Base of second dorsal equal the length 

 of the snout from the eyes, origin above the middle of the base of the anal, 

 end of base opposite that of the anal base. Pectorals short, width about three 

 fourths of the length, which latter is equal to half the distance from the base to 

 that of the ventral. Origin of ventrals little forward of that of the dorsal. Anal 

 base about twice as long as that of a ventral. Scales minute, nearly erect, 

 slightly bent backward, with a strong median cusp at each side of the base of 

 which there is a much smaller one. The scales have a velvety appearance; 

 they offer little more resistance when stroked toward the head. 



