FISHES FROM THE SEA-BOTTOM 389 



found in deep water by the " Michael Sars," similar to those found in 

 such great numbers by the "Challenger" in the Pacific, 



Twelve species are rays (Raiidae). Raia niicroocellata and R. miraletus 

 are true Atlantic species, caught by the "Michael Sars" only south of 

 the Canaries. The other species are caught also in the Norwegian 

 Sea. 



Of the family Chimseridae, CJiimcEva monstrosa is recorded from the 

 Norwegian Sea, from the extreme north of Norway, from the whole of 

 the Atlantic down to the Cape of Good Hope, from Sumatra and Japan. 

 C. viirabilis was discovered by the " Michael Sars " in 1902, south of 

 the Faroe Islands, in deep water. Hariotta raleighana, in appearance a 

 most remarkable deep-sea fish, was previously known from the Atlantic 

 slope off the United States. 



The Teleostei are represented in our list by no less than eight 

 sub-orders. 



The Malacopterygii include salmon-like fishes ; two species of the 

 genus Argentina live near the continental edge or the deepest part of 

 the coast-banks of the Norwegian Sea and the Atlantic. The family 

 Alepocephalidae includes true deep-sea fishes, black in colour, known 

 from the greatest depths of the ocean, but not recorded from the 

 Norwegian Sea. They are salmon-like in form, and attain the dimen- 

 sions of a small salmon. 



The Apodes, or eel-like fishes, include a great number of deep-sea 

 fishes belonging to the family Synaphobranchidas. SynapJiobrancJius 

 pinnatus is known from all the oceans of the world, and was caught 

 in deep water by the " Michael Sars " at many stations. The family 

 Mursenidae includes shore -fishes ; the splendid Murcena helena was 

 caught off the African coast. 



The Haplomi and the Heteromi include true deep-sea fishes, the 

 genera being BatJiysauriis, Bathypterois, the new genus BatJiyniicrops, 

 Halosauropsis, and NotacantJnis. None of them are known from the 

 Norwegian Sea, but some have a world-wide distribution, and have been 

 caught at the very greatest depths where trawlings have been taken. 



The Catosteomi and Percesoces are only represented by one species 

 each ; both coast-fishes. Centriscus scolopax is a brightly-coloured little 

 coast-fish with a pipette-like rostrum. 



The Anacanthini are represented in our list by no less than 36 

 different species, 19 of Macruridae, and 17 of Gadidae. These two 

 families are very nearly related. The Macrurids include the most 

 important and numerous bottom-fishes on the continental slopes and 

 over the abysmal areas of the ocean. The Gadidae are the most numer- 

 ous and economically the most important food-fishes in northern and 

 subtropical waters. The Macruridae have representatives which live in 

 very deep water only, others which are confined to certain geographical 

 areas of the slope, and so on ; these will be treated in greater detail later. 

 Of the Gadidae the genus Gadus has a number of species (for instance, 

 the cod, the haddock, the whiting, the pollack, the saithe) which are 

 characteristic of different parts of northern waters, while the genus 

 Merluccius is the most important food-fish on subtropical coast-banks. 

 The genera Molva (ling) and Brosviius (tusk) inhabit the deepest parts 



