244 Salmopercae and Other Transitional Groups 



coid, and especially by the structure of the ventral fins, 

 which are composed of about fifteen rays instead of the one 

 spine and five rays characteristic of the specialized perch- 

 like fishes. The living forms of this type are further char- 

 acterized by the partial or total absence of the spinous 

 dorsal, by the small oblique mouth, and the prominence of 

 the ventral curve of the body. A thorough study of the 

 osteology of these forms living and fossil will be necessary 

 before the group can be properly defined. The large bone 

 above mentioned was at first considered by Boulenger as 

 the interclavicle or infraclavicle, the hypocoracoid being re- 

 garded by him as displaced, lying with the actinosts. But it 

 is certain, from the studies of Mr. Starks, that this bone is the 

 real hypocoracoid, which in this case is simply exaggerated in 

 size, but placed as in ordinary fishes. 



The single living family, Lampridid&, contains but one species, 

 Lampris guttatus, known as opah, moonfish, mariposa, cravo, 

 Jerusalem haddock, or San Pedro fish. This species reaches a 

 length of six feet and a weight of 500 to 600 pounds. Fig. 199 

 (Vol. I) is taken from a photograph of an example weighing 

 317^ pounds taken near Honolulu by Mr. E. L. Berndt. The 

 body is almost as deep as long, plump and smooth, without scales 

 or bony plates. The vertebrae are forty-five in number, and the 

 large ventrals contain about fifteen rays. The dorsal is without 

 spines, the small mouth without teeth. The color is a "rich 

 brocade of silver and lilac, rosy on the belly, everywhere with 

 round silvery spots." The head and back have ultramarine 

 tints, the jaws and fins are vermilion. On a drawing of this 

 fish made at Sable Island in 1856, Mr. James Farquhar wrote 

 (to Dr. J. Bernard Gilpin) : "Just imagine the body, a beau- 

 tiful silver interspersed with spots of a lighter color about the 

 size of sixpence, the eyes very large and brilliant, with a golden 

 ring around them. You will then have some idea of the splen- 

 did appearance of the fish when fresh. If Caligula had seen 

 them I might have realized a fortune." 



The skeleton of the opah is very firm and heavy. The 

 flesh is of varying shades of salmon-red, tender, oily, and of 

 a rich, exquisite flavor scarcely surpassed by any other fish 

 whatsoever. 



