54 



Opisthomi and Anacanthini 



two dorsal fins. The deep-water genus, Bathyonus, is also 

 regarded as a distinct family, Bathyonida. 



The Hakes: Merluciidae. Better defined than these families 

 is the family of hakes, Merluciidoz. These pike-like codfishes 

 have the skull peculiarly formed, the frontal bones being paired, 

 excavated above, with diverging crests continuous forward 

 from the forked occipital crest. The species are large fishes, 



FIG. 492. California Hake, Merluccius productus (Ayres). Seattle. 



very voracious, without barbels, with the skeleton papery and 

 the flesh generally soft. The various species are all very much 

 alike, large, ill-favored fishes with strong teeth and a ragged 

 appearance, the flesh of fair quality. Merluccius merluccius, 

 the hake or stock-fish, is common in Europe ; Merluccius bilinearis, 

 the silver hake, is common in New England, Merluccius pro- 

 ductus in California, and Merluccius gayi in Chile. 



The Grenadiers: Macrouridae. The large family of grena- 

 diers, or rat -tails, Macrourida. is confined entirely to the oceanic 



FIG. 493. Coryphcenoides carapinus (Goode & Bean), showing leptoceral tail. 



Gulf Stream. 



depths, especially of the north Atlantic and Pacific. The head is 

 formed much as in the codfishes, with usually a barbel at the chin. 

 There are two dorsals, the second like the anal being low, but 

 the leptocercal tail is very long and tapering, ending in a fila- 



