208 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



Family TRICHIURID^^. 



TricMurini, Bonapaute, Catalogo Metodico, Pesci Europe!, 1846, 78 (Subfam. 13B). 

 Trichiuvoidoi, Hleeker, Emim. Spec. Pise. Arch. Indico, 1859, 64. 



Triehiurida; GCnther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Miis., ii, 1860, 342.— Giix, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1863, 224; 

 Arr. Fara. Fish. 1872, 8 (No. 77) ; Standard Nat. Hist, in, 1885, 206. 



Scombroidea, with very elongate, compre.ssed, scalele.s.s body, tapering to a point, and 

 without caudal. Dorsal and anal long, low, continuous, confluent ijosterioily. I'ectoials 

 normal. Veiitrals absent or rudimentary. Mouth wide; jaws armed with very strong, un- 

 equal teeth. Lateral liue present. Air bladder present. Gills 4, with a slit behind the 

 fourth. Gill membranes separate, free from the isthmus. 



In addition to the typical genus Trichiitrus, characterized by the ab.sence of ventrals, 

 there is a Chinese form, Euplcuroyyanimus (with a single species, E. muticus), in which the 

 ventrals are represented by a pair of very small scales. 



TRICHIURUS, Linnaeus. 



Trichiiiriis, Linn.eu.s, Systema Natnrne, Ed. x, 1, 246; Ed. xii, I, 429. — Cuvier, E(^giip Animal, Ed. 1, 1817, 

 246; Ed. 2, 1829, 218.— Cuvier and Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss, viii, 235.— GCnthek, Cat. Fish. Brit. 

 Mus. II, 346.— JoRD.vN and Gilbert, Bull, xvi, U. S. Nat. Mus., 212. 



Leplunis, Aktedi, Spec. Pise, 101. — Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1862, 120. 



Body very elongate, band-like, tapering to a flue point. Head long; cleft of mouth 

 wide; teeth very strong and unequal in the jaws; teeth on the palatines, none on the 

 vomer. Preorbital covei'ing cleft of mouth posteriorly. A single dorsal along whole of 

 back; anal very long, of short detached spines, minute or hidden in the skin; ventral fins 

 reduced to scale-like appendages or absent; pectorals small. No caudal. No scales. 

 Lateral line deciu'ved, concurrent with the belly. Vertebrse, 39+120. Color, silvery. 



TSICHIURUS LEPTUEUS, Linnj2US. (Figure 217.) 



The Scabbard Fish. 



Trichiurus lepturus, Linn^us, Syst. Naturip, ed. x, 1758, i, 246. Guntiier, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., ii, 346; 



Challenger Report, vi, 66; xxii, 39. — Jordan and Gilbert, Bull, xvi, U. S. N. M., 422. 

 Trichiurus anjenieiis, Shaw, Zoology (Fishes), iv, 90, pi. xii. 

 Lepturus argenteus, Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., 1862, 126. 



A Trichiurus with long, pointed, snout whose length is about equal to that of pectoral. 

 Maxillary reaching nearly to vertical from middle of eye. Length of head, 7J times its 

 length ; height of body, 16. 



Color silvery, with darker dorsal. 



Radial formula: D. 135; A. ca. 100. 



This is a well-known form, frequently found in shoal waters from Cape Cod to the 

 West Indies, and needs no descrijition here. 



The Ghallengcr obtained the scabbard-flsh off Inosima, Japan, at a depth of 345 fath- 

 oms. Young were obtained by the U. S. Fish Commission at station 2273, at 17 fathoms; 

 2289, at 7 fathoms; 2121-2, at 31-31 fathoms, 



A commercial flshery of considerable importance exists at Jamaica. This species 

 enters the estuary of the St. Johns River in Florida, and has been known to leap into row- 

 boats. Linnivus wrote of it in 1758: Totus argenteus exiliens ex aqua sa'pe in cymbam. 

 (Systema Nature, ed. x, i, 246.) 



Family CORYPH^-eNIDvE. 



/ Cori/eiiidi, Rafinesque, Indice d' Ittiologia Siciliana, 1810, 29. 



Coniphanidd: Lowe, Proc. Zoiil. Soc, London, 1839, 80.— Swainson, Nat. Hist., etc., ii, 1839, 177.— Bona- 

 parte, Catalogo Metodico, Pesci Europe!, 1846, 76 (Fam. 64).— Gill, Arr. Fam. Fishes, 1872, 8 (No. 81, 

 name only). — Jordav and Gii.rert, Bull, xvi, U. S. Nat. Mus., 458. 



Conjphanini, Bonaparte, Icon. Faun. Italica, Pesci, 1842, Introduzione. — Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., 

 11.404. 



Cori/phanoidei, Bleeker, Tentamun, 18.59, xxiii (Familia 101). 



