Tordan and FA'ermann. — Fishes of North America. 603 



Family LXXXIV. STERNOPTYCHID^. 



Fishes " with compressed ventradiform body, carinated contour, deeply 

 and obliquely cleft and subvertical mouths, whose upper margin is 

 constituted by the supraniaxillaries as well as the intermaxillaries ; 

 brancbiostegal arch near and parallel with lower jaw, scapular with an 

 inferior projection, and with one or more of the neural spines abnormally 

 developed, and projecting above the back in advance of the dorsal fin." 

 (Gill.) Genera 2, species about 10; deep-sea fishes, rising toward the 

 surface at night or in stormy weather. (Sternoptychida', Giinther, Cat., V, 

 384, 1864, part group Siernopty china.) 



a. Projecting neural spine before dorsal single; spine-like abdomi-nal outline nearly continuous 

 in a sigmoid curve; branchiostegals 5. Sternoptvx, 289. 



aa. Projecting neural spines, several constituting a saw-like ridge before dorsal; abdominal out- 

 line abruptly contracted before anal; branchiostegals 9. ARGyKOFELECUS, 290. 



289. STERNOPTYX, Hermann. 



Sternoptijx, Hermann, Naturforschcr, xvi, 8, 1771, {diaplmiifi). 



Trunk much elevated and compressed, the slender tail very short ; 

 abdominal outline nearly continuous, in a sigmoid curve ; teeth of the 

 jaws in several series, the largest teeth in the inner row ; a single spike- 

 like neural spine before dorsal ; branchiostegals 5. Otherwise essentially 

 as in Argyropelecus. {art-pvov, breast; tttv^, fold or plait.) 



900. STERNOPTYX DIAPHANA, Hermann. 



B. 5 ; D. 9 ; A. 13 ; P. 10 ; V. 3. Depth equal to distance between tip of 

 snout and base of the very short tail. Interorbital space slightly con- 

 cave ; posterior limb of preopercle bordering hind part of orbit, and 

 descending very obliquely, ending in two points. Pectoral scarcely reach- 

 ing ventrals, which are very small. (Giinther.) Atlantic: occasionally 

 taken in the Gulf Stream, from Santa Cruz Island to the Grand Banks. 

 {diaphanufi, 6ia(l)avrj(, transparent.) 

 Stemojiliix lUdiikimii, Hermann, Naturforschcr, xvi, 8, 1771, Jamaica ; Ginther, Cat., v, 387, 



186-1; GooDK & Bean, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zodl., x. No. 5, 188:i, 220. 

 Slemoptyx hertnanui, LACfipfiDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, G13, 1803; after Hermann. 



290. ARGYROPELECUS,^Cocco. 



Argyropelecus, Cocco, Giorn. Sci. Sicil., fasc. 77, 146, 1829, {heniigijmmiK). 

 PUurulhijris, LowE, Fishes of Madeira, 64, 1861, (o//«si). 



Body much elevated and compressed, passing abruptly into the short 

 tail ; no scales, the skin covered with silvery pigment ; series of luminous 

 spots along the lower side of the head, body, and tail. Head large, com- 

 pressed, and elevated, the bones thin, but ossified. Cleft of mouth wide, 

 vertical, the lower jaw prominent. Margin of upper jaw formed by the 

 maxillary and premaxillary, both of which have a sharp edge which is 

 beset with minute teeth ; lower jaw and palatine bones with a series of 

 small curved teeth. Eyes large, very close together, lateral, but directed 

 upward. Angle of preopercle with a spine usually directed downward. 



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