234 



HANS SAUTER. 



though essentially the sams as Atelo/>us (Dum. & Bib:iox iSar, a genus of 

 Batrachians), is sufficiently distinct from the latter to exclude all possibilities 

 of confusion. 



Through the discovery of the species described below a slight 

 alteration of the family-diagnosis proves necessary I give it as follows, 

 making use of external characters only : 



Ateleopodidae are Ophidioids with the jugular ventrals reduced to 

 simple filaments, each fin consisting of two rays, the inner of which is 

 rudimentary Mouth inferior or subterminal ; maxillaries protractile in a 

 downward direction ; lower jaw included One short, long-rayed anterior 

 dorsal ; no second dorsal Anal fin very long, confluent with the caudal 

 Gills four ; a slit behind the fourth ; no pseudobranchiae No barbel. 



This family as it stands, comprises two genera and three species, all of 

 which have the body and tail compressed, the latter being much elongate 

 and more than half the total length Scaleless (Gunthek, Alcock) or 

 partially covered with non-imbricate, extremely thin scales of various size, 

 imbedded or superficial The genera and species may be distinguished 

 in the following manner 



A — Ventrals long, reaching nearly halfway to the vent or longer ; 



mouth inferior ; head as long as the trunk ; Ü 8 



Ateleopl'S Schlegel 1846. 



a — Ventrals nearly reaching the vent ; anal and caudal together 

 composed of 110 rays; gill-membranes separate, free from the 

 isthmus ; pupil horizontal (after Günther, Chalk, Deep-Sea F., 



159) Ateleopl's japonicus Bleeker ? 



b — -Ventrals reaching nearly halfway to the vent ; anal and caudal 

 together composed of 76 rays ; gill openings narrow, the 

 membranes being united to the isthmus anteriorly ; pupil ? 



Ateleopus indicus Alcock 1891. 



11 — Ventrals short, only about as long as one-eighth the distance 

 between the insertion and the vent ; mouth subterminal ; head 

 much shorter than the trunk [in the type-species contained i T 7 g- 

 times ( r , 3 9) in the trunk] D 10 Ijimaia nov gen 



