Among scientific innovations, the educated public has been recently entranced 

 by the discovery of the coelacanlh in the Mozambique Channel and by the first dives 

 of the bathyscaph. These subjects could only be dealt with by Professors J. Millot 

 and Th. Monod, from the French Museum of Natural History. In a friendly and 

 obliging a ay they have willingly presented the results of their studies and observations 

 in this book. For this freely-given collaboration I express my sincere thanks. Pro- 

 fessor Bndker also accepted to write something about sharks. I thank him deeply 

 for this, for he knows a great deal about the biology of these fearsome beasts, whose 

 reputation he has discerningly vindicated. 



This book had need of a wealth of illustrations to allow readers to see living fishes 

 in their natural surroundings. We have had effective collaboration from Dr D. P. 

 Wilson of the Plymouth Laboratory and Dr Bott of Frankfurt, who had already helped 

 us in another work. The New York Zoological Society have supplied a remarkable 

 series of photographs and similar help has been given by Mr. ]]' alter Van den Berg, Director 

 of the Boyal Zoological Society of Antwerp. Very fine photographs of the fishes of 

 Brazil and the West Indies are the work of M. Isy Schwart. The fishes of Pacific 

 coral reefs live in the negatives of Dr. Bernard Villaret and MM. Aubert de la Rile, 

 Cathala and Haas, Gunther Senfft, Fraass and J. M. Baufle. And we will not overlook 

 the contributions that Mile Y. de Rolland and M. R.-H. Noailles have made to this 

 book for the fishes of France. We are indebted to Professor J. Millot for the first 

 colour photograph of the famous coelacanth and to Dr. J. Sapin-Jaloustre for a rare 

 photograph of antarctic nototheniid fishes. Lastly, thanks to Mr H. E. Edgerton's 

 equipment, which was lent by the National Geographical Society to the bathyscaph 

 F. N. R. S. III., Commander Ilouot has been able to take shots at great depths. 

 He was helped by M. Pierre Dubard, who took part in the descent and to whom I 

 am bound by memories of nearly 20 years' work in oceanography. We beg them 

 all to accept our thanks for having made such lively contributions in calling to mind 

 the world of fishes in all regions and in all depths of the sea. 



TRANSLATOR'S NOTE 



To fit in with the requirements of English readers some adaptation of the original 

 text has been considered desirable as regards identification and nomenclature. Any 

 reader desirous of comparing such points is referred to the French edition " POIS- 

 SONS " published by Horizons de France, 39, rue du G^neral-Foy, Paris (S*'). 



10 



