OCR Text |
Show 1886.] NEW PEDICULATE FISH. 141 should be added one or more accessory teeth, which are quite short, and are situated immediately at the base of the longest teeth ; probably these accessory teeth are meant to supplant the others when these are shed or lost, which may often happen when devouring the huge prey. In the intermaxillary, the longest teeth in front have a length of 6 millim., and are quite straight (on the left side it is not fully developed); the other teeth are shorter, not more than 3 millim. long. The total number of teeth in each intermaxillary is 8 or 9, to which must be added 2-3 accessory teeth situated at the base of the longest. In the lower jaw the two foremost teeth (and the 4th) are particularly long, the others somewhat shorter. In each half jaw there are seven teeth, to which must be added the two accessory teeth situated at the base of the longest. The innermost tooth in the jaw is quite small. Of the two long front teeth, the first is somewhat shorter than the second, considerably curved ; its length is 4*5 millim. The second is the longest of all the teeth ; it is 8 millim. in length, and is also a little curved. It is placed a little inside of the row of other teeth, and has a short tooth at its base. The fourth has a length of 5 millim., and it also has an accessory tooth; the others are shorter. The upper pharyngeal bones have each a group of about six teeth forming two long irregular rows. The lower pharyngeals do not appear to have teeth. The vomer has a single tooth, which, like the pharyngeal teeth, is about the length of the shorter teeth in the jaws, and is slightly curved. Cephalic spine.-The first dorsal appears as a single tentacle on the forehead (the cephalic spine). Its basal element is not subcutaneous and procumbent, but erect and continuous with its distal part. When laid back its bulb reaches to the hind margin of the eyes, or just between the two orbital spines, in which position it fills up the concavity on the forehead. It is situated at the front margin of the snout. Its length is 10 millim., of which half comprises the peduncle, which is rather thick, especially towards its base, the other half the head, which forms an oblong bulb, the breadth of which is 3 millim., or about the same as the diameter of the eye. The bulb ends in a pair of exceedingly short and slender threads, which, in a good light, can be seen to have small papilla-shaped bodies on one side, of the same kind as the papillae on the guttural tentacle, but much smaller (probably answering to the " scales " which, according to Liitken, cover the threads of the tentacles of the Himantolophoids). The colour of this cephalic spine is jet-black as far as the middle of the bulb ; its other half is white (perhaps silvery in the living specimen), as in most or all the other species of the Ceratiidae. The fins.-The second dorsal is situated far behind, close into the caudal fin, although separated from it by a distinct space. It has three single rays, which at their base are enveloped with a thick |