REVIEW OF THE GENUS SCHEDOPHILUS — OGILBY. 67 



natural subdivisions of the genus, which, when our knowledge of 

 these pelagic forms is more thorough, may or may not be raised 

 to full generic rank. 



SCHEDOPHILUS.* 



Schedophilus, Cocco, Giorn. Innom. Mess. Ann. iii. 1829. 



Crius, sp. Valenc. in Webb & Berthel. lies Oanar. Poiss. p. 45, 

 1836. 



Icosteus, Lockington, Proc. US. Nat. Mus. ii. p. 63, 1880. 

 Icichthys, Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. US. Nat. Mus. ii. p. 305, 1880. 



Schedophilopsis, Steindachner, SB, Ak. Wien, Ixxxvi. p. 82, 



1882. 



Branchiostegals six or seven : pseudobranchite present. Body 

 oblong-ovate or ovate, strongly compressed. Cleft of mouth 

 moderate. Preopercle spiniferous. A single series of small teeth 

 in the jaws : vomer, palatines, and tongue edentulous. One 

 dorsal fin, extending nearly along the whole back, formed by 

 flexible rays, the anterior of which are more or less simple : 

 anal similarly formed : ventrals thoracic, with one spine and 

 four or five rays. Scales small and eyelid, or absent ; ver- 

 tical fins with a basal scaly sheath. Airbladder present or 

 absent. 



Geographical Distribution. — Mediterranean ; tropical and sub- 

 tropical parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans ; not as yet 

 recorded from the Indian Ocean, nor from the East Coast of 

 America. 



Synopsis of the species. 



A. Scales small ; branchiostegals seven ; ventral fins with five 

 soft rays (Icichthys) 



a. Scales striated ; dorsal commencing above the margin of 

 the opercle /. maculatus. 



aa. Scales smooth. 



h. Dorsal commencing behind the head I. lockingtoni. 



Dorsal commencing above the vertical margin of the 

 preopercle /. hertheloti. 



* Agassiz gives, as the derivation of Cocco's generic name, o-^eSry, 

 scheda, and <^(./Vos, amicus. The former of these words means a leaf or 

 tablet, and has therefore no significance in connection with the fish ; if, 

 however, the name be derived from (T\€Oia, the meaning of which is a 

 raft or float, a recognised habit of the young Schedophili would be 

 felicitously expressed. 



