PELAGIC ANIMAL LIFE 6oi 



i\s indicated in Chapter VII., zoologists have until lately been un- Fishes, 

 able to decide what species of fishes live along the bottom, and what 

 species belong to the intermediate and surface waters. In recent years 

 our knowledge has greatly increased. The " Valdivia " Expedition 

 took no less than 151 species in pelagic fishing appliances.^ Many of 

 these have raised considerable interest on account of their curious shapes, 

 especially the so-called " deep-sea fishes," which were supposed to live 

 in the great depths of the ocean. 



During the cruise of the " Michael Sars " probably about 10,000 

 specimens of pelagic fishes were taken, exclusive of the many larvse and 

 young stages. This abundant material has not yet been worked up, 

 and complete lists, even of the adult fishes, are not available. Of the 

 Scopelidas (including the genus MyctopJiuni), the genus MelampJides 

 and different Stomiatidae, only a limited number of species have 

 been dealt with, many of the species being new, while the larvae 

 and young fish have as yet only been divided into certain groups. 

 Nevertheless, the following- list is of interest, as it indicates a great advance 



Fig. 449. 

 Pet7-omyzon mariniis, L. (From Goode and Bean.) 



in our knowledge of the fishes of the North Atlantic ; though the 

 collections of the " Michael Sars " are deficient as regards the coastal 

 and northern waters of the Atlantic, much information has been gained 

 regarding the pelagic fishes of the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea. 



The present list records 95 species, all, except one specimen of the 

 lamprey, Petrotiiyzon viarinus (see Fig. 449), taken on the banks of 

 Newfoundland, belonging to the Teleostei, or bony fishes. 



The sub-order Malacopterygii comprises many of the most important 

 forms from coastal waters as well as from the ocean. 



The Clupeidae (or herrings) are economically the most important of 

 all pelagic fishes, and belong wholly or chiefly to the coast waters 

 (neritic). In southern waters (Bay of Biscay, off the coasts of Spain, 

 Portugal, and Africa) the principal species are the anchovy {Engraulis 

 encrasicholus, see Fig. 450), Clupea alosa, and the sardine or pilchard 

 {Clupea pilchardus, see Fig. 451), while in northern waters the herring 

 {Clupea Itarengus) and the sprat {Clupea sprattus) predominate. 



The Salmonidae have many pelagic representatives. The light- 

 coloured salmon and sea-trout are generally considered to be pelagic 

 when away from the rivers and the coasts. The list of bottom-fish in 



1 Brauer, IViss. Ergeb. '■'■ Valdivia'' Expedition, Bd. 15, 1906. 



