328 A. Alcock— Eecent Collection of Bathi/hial Fishes. [No. 2, 



Bathygadus, Gthr. 



15. Bathygadus furvescens, n. sp. 



B. 7. D. 10. P. 15. V. 8. Pyl. c£ec. 20. 



The length of the head is a little more than one-fifth of the total 

 (1: 4-75) ; and the height of the tapei*ing body, immediately behind the 

 gill-opening, is about three-foui*ths the length of the head. 



The length of the snout is one-foui^th that of the head, and is equal 

 to the width of the interorbital space : the major diameter of the orbit 

 is four-fifths the length of the snout. The nostrils are placed close to- 

 gether immediately in front of the eye, the antei'ior being a mere pore. 



The mouth is very capacious, its cleft reaching to the vertical 

 through the posterior border of the orbit. Villiform teeth in bands in 

 the jaws only, the band in the upper jaw being very broad : there is a 

 wide diastema between the two elements of the pre- maxillary, and a 

 corresponding but much narrower edentulous interval at the mandibular 

 symphysis. There is no barbel. 



Gill-openings wide, the gill-membranes fi-ee. The gill-rakers are 

 short, broad, clavate and remarkably spiny, except on the outer side of 

 the 1st branchial arch where they are long and setiform, — the middle 

 ten or twelve being three-fourths the diameter of the eye in length. 



The body and the head, except in the glosso-hyal region, are cover- 

 ed with deciduous cycloid scales, of which there seem to be seven rows 

 between the base of the 1st dorsal fin and the lateral line. 



The Ist dorsal fin has the usual position, and the 2nd arises imme- 

 diately behind it: an unbroken ray from the middle third of the well- 

 developed 2nd dorsal is more than one-third of the greatest body-height 

 in length. The rays of the anal fin are short and slender. The length 

 of the pectorals is not quite equal to that of the postrostral jiortion 

 of the head : when laid back, their tips reach beyond the origin of the 

 anal. The ventrals, which are large, arise immediately below the 

 pectorals. 



The pyloric c£eca, which are twenty in number, are of great size, 

 as is also the pancreas. The air-bladder is large and spongy. 



Colours: warm dusky brown; vertical fins blackish, paired fins 

 black ; gill-membranes, mouth and peritoneum black. 



Length : 20'5 inches. 



Loc. Station 150, off the Maldives, 719 fms. 



Family Pleuronectidse. 



Chascanopsetta, n. gen. 

 Mouth very wide, the maxillary being more than half the length 



