694 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Family CERATIID4£. 
Miopsaras, new genus. 
Like Mancalias and Cryptopsaras, but with basal joint of the single dorsal spine thickened and 
greatly reduced in length, directed forward and lying concealed in a shallow pit, its distal portion 
represented by a short, slender, fleshy filament attached to tip of the heavy basal portion, which does 
not taper into it. A pair of caruncles, without median element, as in Mancalias. 
Body narrowly compressed, back gently arched, anterior profile and cleft of mouth directed down- 
ward and forward, lower profile rising in a nearly straight line to the slender caudal peduncle; vomer 
and palatines toothless; gill-opening a nearly vertical slit below axil of pectoral; gills 2\, the anterior 
arch attached for the greater part of its length, as in Macrourus; filaments of outer series of anterior 
arch but half as long as those of inner series, with which they alternate; third arch with a single series 
of filaments, and attached throughout; no gill-rakers developed; eyes miniate and inconspicuous; 
pectorals short, with 18 rays; ventrals absent; skin densely covered with minute spines, which form 
a fine shagreen. 
Miopsaras Gilbert, new genus of Ceratiidss ( myops ). 
Miopsaras myops, new species. Plate 99. 
Type, 114 mm. long (from mandibular articulation to tip of caudal), from station 4019, in the vicin- 
ity of Kauai Island, depth 409 to 550 fathoms; type, No. 51637, TJ. S. Nat. Mus. 
Length of head from tip of snout to gill-slit 0.1 greater than vertical depth at snout; greatest width 
of head contained 2.7 times in length; length of snout 2.75 times; distance from tip of snout to end of 
maxillary 2 times. D. 4; A. 4; P. 18; C. 8. 
Mandible included, its symphysis provided with a strongly protruding spinous tip; mandibular 
teeth anteriorly in 2 ill-defined series; inner teeth long and fang-like, all depressible; premaxillary 
teeth in 2 or 3 poorly marked series, the largest teeth located anteriorly in the inner row, not half size 
of mandibular fangs; tongue, vomer, and palatines toothless; a long slender nasal tube near tip of 
snout, apparently with 2 perforations at its summit; gill-slit longer than pectoral fin, contained 6 times 
in length of head, its upper end behind lower pectoral rays, the direction of the slit downward and a 
little forward. 
Dorsal spine inserted but little behind eye; length of basal portion less than 3 times its width, 
about twice diameter of eye, and about 0.1 length of head; spine directed forward, in a shallow, naked 
groove, the naked area narrowing in front of spine and continued well beyond it, about halfway to 
tip of snout; to the tip of the basal portion, at its anterior (lower) face, is attached a slender white 
filament, hardly to be made out with the unaided eye, the spine and filament scarcely extending 
halfway from their base to tip of snout; caruncles opposite each other; distance from their insertion 
to front of dorsal about equal to base of latter; no globular body between them, but immediately in 
front, on median line, a slight elevation of the integument, containing a shallow, naked pocket, open- 
ing posteriorly; no pore could be detected opening into base of this pocket; caruncles each with a very 
slender stalk and an enlarged globular head, the latter having a specialized area at tip, devoid of 
prickles and covered with a thin opaque white integument; each caruncle perforated at tip by a short 
slit or pore; fin rays all simple, except the 4 middle rays of caudal; longest caudal ray 0.85 length of 
head; pectoral very short, its length equaling that of gill-slit; vent separated from anal fin by a dis- 
tance equaling base of latter. 
Entire body, including all the fin rays, invested with close-set prickles; the groove for dorsal spine, 
the spine itself, tips of caruncles, eye, and lips the only naked areas. 
Body and fins everywhere jet-black; mouth cavity whitish with dusky areas. 
Only the type is known. 
