Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North America. 2.595 



Some writers have supposed from the great length and narrow shape of 

 these fishes that they have been mistaken for 'sea serpents,' but as these 

 monsters of the sea are always represented by those who have had the 

 good fortune of meeting Avith them as remarkably active, it is not likely 

 that harmless ribbon-fishes, which are either dying or dead, have been the 

 objects described as 'sea serpents.'" {rcxiv/a, ribbon; 6Coi.ia, body.) 



Families of T^niosomi. 



a. Ventral fins reduced each to a single long filament, thickened at the tip; anterior 

 rays of dorsal produced ; month small; caudal fin shorter wanting. 



Reqalecid^:, ccxvi. 

 aa. Ventral fins normally developed or else wanting. 



h. Caudal fin short, fan-shaped, inserted at an angle with axis of hody ; the tail 



not mucli produced beyond it. TRACHrPTEniD^, ccxvii. 



hh. Caudal fin short, the tail beyond it ending in a long filament, longer than rest 



of body. Stylephoeid/E, ccxviii. 



Family CCXVI. REGALECID^. 



(Oar-Fishes.) 



Body very elongated and compressed, the head oblong, the opercular 

 apparatus well developed (the operculum extended backward, the sub- 

 ojierculum obliquely behind it, and the interoperculum extended upward 

 l.elow the 2), the preorbital chain obli(iue and widest at the second bone; 

 ventrals represented by singh* elongate rays, the cranium with the 

 myodome atrophied and the dichost suppressed, the supraoccijiital pushed 

 forward by the extensive development of the epiotics which encroach for- 

 ward on the roof as well as back and sides of the cranium, and with short 

 ribs. (Gill.) Superficial characters are the very long dorsal, extending 

 the whole length of the Itack and with the rays at the nape much produced ; 

 pectorals very short; caudal fin short or wanting; anal very low; head 

 small; mouth very short ; no air l)ladder; pyloric Cicca numerous. One 

 genus, with 2 or more species. Very large, surface-swimming fishes of the 

 open seas; the great size, undulating motion and projecting mane causing 

 them frequently to be taken for sea serpents. {Ecf/alecida', Gill, Standard 

 Nat. Hist., Ill, 1885; Gill, Amer. Nat. 1890, 482.) 



loio. REGALECUS, Briinnich. 

 (Oar-Fishes.) 



Uegaleeus, BrOnnich, Nya Sammlnng, lll, 414, 1788 (glesne). 

 Gymnetrus, Bloch & Schneider, Syat. Ichtli., 487, 1801 (remijjes). 

 Xypterus, Bafinesque, Indice, 59, 1810 (imperatii. 



Characters of the genus included above. " It is not certain that there is 

 more than 1 species of liegaleciis, although, as the synonymy which follows 

 clearly shows, various names have been suggested in connection with the 

 comparatively few individuals which, during the past century and a half, 

 have been captured in the North Atlantic. There appears to be consider- 



