Cavallas and Pampanos 



285 



resembling a berycoid, but with the ventral rays I, 5, occurs 

 in the Upper Cretaceous. Closely related to this is Berycopsis 

 elegans, with smoother scales, from the English Chalk. 



Gobiomorus gronovii (usually called Nomeus gronovii}, the 

 Portuguese man-of-war-fish, is a neat little fish about three 

 inches long, common in the Gulf 

 of Mexico and the Gulf Stream, 

 where it hides from its enemies 

 among the poisoned tentacles of 

 the Portuguese man-of-war. 

 Under the Portuguese man-of- 

 war and also in or under large 

 jelly-fishes several other species 

 are found, notably Carangus 

 medusicola and Peprilus paru. 

 Many small species of Psenes, 

 a related genus, also abound in 

 the warm currents from tropical 

 seas. 



The Rag-fishes : Icosteidae. 

 Allied to the butter-fishes are 

 the deep-water Icosteidce, fishes 

 of soft, limp bodies as unre- 

 sistent as a wet rag, Icosteus 

 cenigmaticus of the California 

 coast being known as ragfish. 

 Schedophilus medusophagus feeds 

 on medusae and salpa, living on 

 the surface in the deep seas. 

 Mr. Ogilby thus speaks of a 

 specimen taken in Ireland: 



"It was the most delicate adult fish I ever handled; within 

 twenty-four hours after its capture the skin of the belly and 

 the intestines fell off when it was lifted, and it felt in the hand 

 quite soft and boneless." A related species (S. heathi) has been 

 lately taken by Dr. Charles H. Gilbert at Monterey in California. 



The family of Acrotidtz contains a single species of large size. 

 Acrotus willoughbyi, allied to Icosteus, but without ventral fins 

 and with the vertebras very numerous. The type, five and one- 



FIG. 221. Portuguese Man-of-war 

 Fish, Gobiomorus gronovii. Family 

 Stromateidce. 



