88 



OPHIDIUM LANCELET. 



off the Cornish coast it is taken so frequently that it 

 cannot be uncommon in deep water. It is usually found 

 entangled among sea- weed. The illustration on previous 

 the page is a copy of the figure given of it. 



A very rare fish is the Beardless Ophidium in shape 

 not unlike the red-band fish ; the length about three 

 inches. 



Apodes. 



Ophididce^ 



BEARDLESS OPHIDIUM {OpMdium itribcrhe). 

 Dermopterj. Amphioxidf^ 



LANCELET {Atjipliioxus lauceolatus, Branchiostoma lane eolation). 



It has occurred several times in the British seas, and 

 also in the Mediterranean. At first sight it a good deal 

 resembles the Anglesea Morris, -particularly in the 

 arrangement of the striated lines on the flattened side. 

 But that animal has a perfect head, though a small one, 

 with jaw, eyes, and gill-covers ; while the lancelet has no 

 proper head, nor eye, nor gills, neither has it any fins 

 except one along the back. 



FILE-FISH. 



Plectognathi. Ballstida, 



A SINGLE individual of the European File-fish is re- 

 corded to have been captm-ed (on the Sussex coast) in 

 1827. It belongs to a very numerous and important 

 family in the tropical seas, the Balistida. The fishes 

 belonging to this group are called file-fish, in conse- 

 quence of the first dorsal fin being studded up the front 



