1909.] 
R. E. Eloyd ; Deep-Sea Fish caught by the ‘‘Investigator.” 
153 
One specimen, 70 cm. in length, from the Arabian Sea, Station 338, 839 fathoms. 
Registered No. i\--. 
Suborder Heteromi. 
Family NOTACANTHIDÆ:. 
Notacanthus indiens, sp. nov. 
Illustr. Zool. “ Investigator ” Fishes, plate xlv, fig. 8 (1909). 
B. 12, D. xi, A. 14-105, V. iii 7, P. 12. 
The length of the head is three-fifths of the distance between the snout and 
vent. The head is 4^^ in the total length. The depth of the body at the ventrals 
and pectorals is in the total length. 
The snout is pointed, laterally compressed, and half as long again as the eye. 
The diameter of the eye is in the length of the head. The corner of the mouth lies 
just behind a 'vertical through the anterior border of the eye. Just above the corner 
of the mouth is a stout curved spine lying horizontally with the concavity downwards. 
The nostrils lie in front of the middle of the eye and are slightly nearer the eye than the 
'end of the snout. The gill-covers are very large and form more than half the length 
of the head : widely open behind and above, they are united below for less than half 
their length. 
The lateral line is conspicuous ; it commences a short distance in front of the 
upper angle of the gill-opening. Behind the head it occupies the highest quarter of 
the body but descends gradually until it occupies the middle line of the tail. There 
are eleven spines in the dorsal fin, they become gradually longer from the first to the 
tenth ; the eleventh is a small spine. The distance of the first spine from the end of 
snout is very nearly as long as the distance of the eleventh from the end of the tail. 
The vent lies under the third dorsal spine. The first ventral spine lies immediately 
behind the vent. The last ventral spine lies under the last dorsal. The ventral 
spines increase in length from before backwards. 
The ventral fins contain three short spines and seven soft rays ; they are partially 
joined together at the base. The pectorals reach to the base of the ventrals and are 
nearly as long as the postocular part of the head. They contain twelve soft rays. 
The scales are cycloid, small, and cover the whole body and head. 
The premaxillæ on either side bear twenty-five curved teeth arranged with great 
regularity. The lower jaw contains forty-two teeth on either side. They are not so 
curved nor are they arranged with such regularity as the premaxillary teeth. There 
are forty-two similar teeth on the palatines, they evidently oppose the teeth of the 
lower jaw. Stomach siphon al. Four large pyloric cæca. 
One specimen, 20 cm. in length. Colour dark brown. Arabian Sea, 512 fathoms, 
Station 305. Registered No. 
