PELAGIC ANIMAL LIFE 



609 



formes or mackerels. The Scombridae are represented by many species 

 in tropical and sub-tropical waters, the most important in the North 

 Atlantic being the mackerel {Scomber scomber), the tunny {T]iynnus 

 thynnus), the bonito {TJiynnus pclamys), and Pelamys sarda. The adult 

 fishes are widespread, but most of them probably seek the coasts in 

 spawning time. The natural history of all these important and interest- 

 ing species has been very little investigated, and very little material was 

 obtained during the cruise of the " Michael Sars." We obtained far 



■odes, n.sp. No. 3. Nat. size, 2 



more information concerning the Carangidae or horse-mackerels, of which 

 young individuals were taken abundantly so far from land that their 

 oceanic habitat may be considered as proved. To this family also 

 belongs the famous pilot-fish {Naiicrates ductor, see Fig. 465), some 

 specimens of which were taken. Allied forms are Zeus fab er and Capros 

 aper, of which only adult individuals were taken in our trawls, but which 

 nevertheless must be supposed to be capable of living in mid-water. The 



Fig. 470. 



Aceratias macrorhi/ites iiidicus, A. Rr 

 Nat. size, 2.8 cm. 



Fig. 469. 

 Melauocetus johnsoni, Giinth. Nat. size, 4.5 cm. 



young of Capros aper and of several other Acanthopterygians were taken 

 in the surface waters far from land. Bathypelagic forms are very scarce 

 among the Acanthopterygians, Our list records only two species of the 

 genus Melamphaes, but many of our specimens have not yet been 

 determined. M. mizolepis shows a wide distribution in the North 

 Atlantic, and is known from the Indian Ocean. 



The sub-order Pediculati is well known from shallow water through 

 the angler {Lophius piscatorius), the eggs of which we found floating off 

 the banks of Newfoundland. Genuine deep-sea forms are the members 

 of the Ceratiidse, containing the genera Ceratias, Otieirodes, Melanocetus 



2 R 



