CLASS PISCES. 391 



Microstoma, Cuv. 



Have the muzzle very short, the lower jaw more ad- 

 vanced, furnished, as well as the small intermaxillaries, 

 with very fine teeth ; three broad and flat rays to the 

 gills ; the eye large, the body elongated, the lateral 

 line furnished with a range of strong scales ; there is 

 a single dorsal a little behind the ventrals. They have 

 the same sort of intestines as the pike. 



But a single species is known, from the Mediter- 

 ranean, the Serpe microstome, Risso, p. 356. 



Stomias, Cuv. 



The muzzle extremely short, the mouth cleft almost 

 to the gills, the opercula reduced to small membran- 

 ous leaflets, and the maxillaries fixed to the cheek ; 

 the intermaxillaries, the palatines, and the mandibles 

 are armed with a small number of long and bent 

 teeth, and there are similar small teeth over the 

 tongue. Their body is elongated, their ventrals alto- 

 gether behind, and their dorsal opposite to the anal 

 on the posterior extremity of the body. 



Two species of these singular fishes are known, 

 discovered by M. Risso in the Mediterranean ; black, 

 ornamented all along the belly with several ranges of 

 silvery points : the one, Esox boa, Risso, 1st edit, 

 pi. x. f. 34. and 2nd edit. f. 40., has no barbels ; the 

 other, Stomias barbatus, has a very long and thick one 

 hanging under the symphysis of the lower jaw. 



