PELAGIC ANIMAL LIFE 



60: 



Chapter X.). Gonostoma denudatuui is shown in Fig. 456. The genera 

 Vi7iciguerria (see Fig. 457), IcJitJiyococcus, and Valenciennellus resemble 

 each other considerably, and have large and numerous light-organs ; 

 their geographical distribution is very wide. Very peculiar are the 

 compressed silvery forms of the genera Argyropelecus (see Fig. 458) and 

 Sternoptyx, which have highly-developed light-organs. Most of them 

 occur in all oceans, the species in the list having been taken at many 

 stations in the North Atlantic, while some of them are also known from 

 the Norwegian Sea. 



The sub-order Apodes includes the eel-like fishes devoid of ventral 



Fig. 459. 



Gastrostonius bairdii, G. and R. Nat. size, 47 cm. 



fins. From coastal waters the eel, the conger, and the Muraenidae are 

 best known. In deep waters the Synaphobranchidae, included in the 

 list of bottom-fishes, are very important ; some of them are perhaps 

 deep-living pelagic fish, but our knowledge on this point is still 

 imperfect. The three species of the Nemichthyidae and the two species 

 of the Saccopharyngidae are undoubtedly pelagic forms. Gastrostoinus 

 bairdii is shown in Fig. 459. Serrivomer sector was taken at numerous 

 stations, one specimen of the large and remarkable Nemichtliys 



Fig. 460. 

 Cyema atritm, Gtinth. Xat. size, 11.5 cm. 



scolopaceus was captured south of the Azores, and the peculiar Cyema 

 atriiin (see Fig. 460) was taken at three stations in the southern part of 

 our track. To this sub-order belong the larval forms termed Leptocephali, 

 which are all larvae of Anguillidae, Muraenidae, Nemichthyidae, Synapho- 

 branchidae, and Saccopharyngidae. 



The sub-order Haplomi includes the Scopelidae, one genus of which, 

 Myctophuin, is represented by numerous species (Brauer mentions 

 more than seventy) ; these play a greater part in the surface fauna of the 

 ocean than all other pelagic fishes. Our list records only those species 

 determined up to the present time, and there are doubtless many more. 

 Of greatest interest to us are Myctop/mm glaciale, M. punciattcin, which 



