igog.] R. E. Lloyd : Deep-Sea Fish caught hy the " Investigator." 141 



Raia reversa, Lloyd. 



Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (7), vol. xviii, p. 310 (1906) ; and Illustr. Zool. " Investi- 

 gator," Fishes, pis. xxxix and xli (igo8). 



The greatest breadth of the disk is equal to the length from the snout to the root 

 of the tail. 



The cloaca is slightly nearer the end of the snout than the end of the tail. 



The interorbital space is J the length of the snout measured from an eye or the 

 middle of the mouth. 



The anterior borders of the pectoral fins are sinuous and together form an angle 

 of about 80°. 



The snout is prominent. 



The lateral angle of the pectoral fins is rounded. 



The spiracle is large ; its greatest diameter equals that of the eye. 



The skin .over the skull, but not over the snout, is covered with fine denticles. 



The anterior half or more of the pectoral fins is covered with small denticles. 



There are two series of larger spines on the pectoral fins, one series of about 

 twenty opposite the shoulder-girdle (male characteristic probably) and another of about 

 fifteen opposite the eye. 



There is one large white stellate spine in front of the eye and two or three smaller 

 ones behind. 



There are four or five similar spines in the mid-dorsal line. 



On the dorsum of the tail are three regular rows of large spines, those of the 

 middle row being about half as numerous as those of the lateral rows. 



The sides of the tail are spiny. 



The lower surface of both disk and tail is smooth and devoid of spines. 



The two dorsal fins are equal in length and are in contact at their bases ; the 

 caudal fin is a minute fold. 



The mouth is transverse in its outer part and curved in the middle; its breadth is 

 exactly half the length of the snout. 



There are forty-two rows of teeth across both upper and lower jaw. 



The teeth in the middle of the series are long and curved ; their bases are heart- 

 shaped. 



Colours in the fresh state: — The upper surface of the disk is pure white, passing 

 into dark grey at the margin of the pectoral fins. The upper surface of the pelvic fins 

 and claspers is grey. The iris is black, but the pupil had a white milky appearance : 

 the anatomical cause of this was unfortunately not made out in the fresh state. The 

 entire lower surface is purplish black. In consistency the whole body is soft and 

 flabby; when taken from the trawl it was rolled up in a cylindrical posture. 



The single specimen (a male), measuring 60 cm. in its greatest length and 33 cm. 

 in its greatest breadth, was taken from 820 fathoms in the Arabian Sea off the Balu- 

 chistan coast. Station 367. 



