250 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF INDIAN OCEAN 



placed crosswise on the upper surface — not at the 

 extreme end — of a long tubular nozzle formed by the 

 bones of the snout — a nozzle somewhat resembling 

 that of the curious South American mammal, the ant- 

 bear. This peculiar mouth and snout look as if they 

 were meant for thrusting into worm-tubes and sucking 

 out the contents. Halhnochirurgus, which was dredged 

 off Cape Comorin in 143 fathoms, is further remarkable 

 as being one of the only two Sclerodermi — the other 

 being Triacantkodes ethiops from 145-250 fathoms — that 

 truly belong to the fauna of the deep sea. 



Remarkable, not as a queer fish, but in quite another 

 way, is Scopelarchtts guentheri (Fig. 49), discovered off 

 the Indus delta in 947 fathoms. This is one of those 

 species that appeals to those who expect, when all the 

 secrets of the depths are revealed, to be able to piece 

 together some of the puzzles of evolution, for it is a 

 sort of connecting - link between five or six different 

 genera of Scopelidce. In general make it strongly 

 resembles Scopelus, but, as in Paralepis, the scales of 

 the lateral line are enlarged : the arrangement of the 

 fins is like that of Chlorophthulmus, but the eyes^nd 

 teeth are in some ways suggestive of those of Odon- 

 tostomus ; finally, it possesses certain features of Saurus 

 and Saurida, The only specimen dredged was a 

 good deal injured by being dragged too rapidly through 

 the water, but from the fact that the enlarged scales 

 of the lateral line are chambered, we may perhaps infer 



