214 THE PLAGIOSTOMIA. 



torals longer than broad, inner angle hardly produced. Origin of first dorsal 

 above the ends of the bases of the pectorals, fin longer and lower than that of 

 the second dorsal; spine above the ends of the pectoral fins, strong, exposed 

 about one third of its length; hind margin of fin straight, hind angle produced. 

 Origin of second dorsal above the axils of the ventrals, base little shorter than 

 that of the first dorsal, fin higher than that mentioned, hind margin nearly- 

 straight, hind angle acuminate, reaching behind a vertical from the origin of 

 the subcaudal, spine strong and longer than that of the first dorsal, about half 

 exposed. Caudal little longer than from head to pectorals, about two fifths as 

 deep as long; subcaudal lobe not produced; a shallow indentation in front of 

 the terminal. Scales small, leaf-shaped, with a strong median keel and weaker 

 lateral keels; hind edge with three points, median longest. 



Greyish brown. 



Described from seventeen inch specimens, from Japan. 



LePIDORHINUS ROSSI. 



Centrophorus rossi Alcock, 1898, Ann. mag. nat. hist., ser. 7, 2, p. 143; 1899, 111. zool. Investigator, 



pi. 26, f. 3; 1899, Cat. deep-sea fishes Indian mus., p. 13. 

 Centroscymnus crepidater Regan, 1908, Ann. mag. nat. hist., ser. 8, 2, p. 50 (part). 



Snout spatulate, much produced, length from the mouth about half that of 

 the head or nearly one seventh of the total length, two and one half times the 

 internarial space or three times the length of the orbit. Mouth crescentic, 

 considerably protractile, width equal two thirds of the preoral length of the snout, 

 with a groove and labial folds at each angle. Upper teeth triangular, acute; 

 lower very oblique. Angle of pectoral rounded, reaching below the middle of 

 the base of the first dorsal. Origin of first dorsal behind the axils of the pectorals; 

 spine short, little exposed, upper and hinder margins convex, hind angle hardly 

 produced, length of base equal nearly half of the interdorsal space. Second 

 dorsal spine above the middle of the bases of the ventrals, much higher than 

 the first dorsal spine, little more than half as high as the fin. Second dorsal fin 

 little larger than the first, bases about equal and hardly as long as the distance 

 between the caudal and the second dorsal. Ventrals smaller than the second 

 dorsal, ends not reaching the end of the second dorsal base. Caudal nearly one 

 fourth of the total length, lower angle moderately prominent. 



Scales minute, acutely and very elegantly tridentate or anchor-shaped. 



Uniform jet black. 



Type specimen ten inches long, taken in 430 fathoms depth off the Travan- 

 core Coast by the Investigator. 



