884 Bulletin 4y, United States National Museum. 



projecting, the anterior teeth in upper jaw very long, canine-like. Scales 

 minute or obsolete. Spinous dorsal very long, of about 30 sjjines ; soft 

 dorsal low, but with a distinct lobe, similar to anal and both followed by 



5 to 7 fiulets. Ventrals I, 5, but extremely minute. Caudal fin rather 

 email, well forked. Lateral line single, arched anteriorly. Vertebra) 

 28 4-25 = 53. Air bladder present. Young having the " JHcrotuH" form, 

 with large head, spinous ventrals, andspinigerous preopercle. Deep sea. 

 {GempyJns, an old name of some Scombroid fish.) 



1273. (JEMPYLUS SERPENS, Cuvier & Valenciennes. 



Head 5^ ; depth 17. D. XXX-1, 13-V : A. II-1, 11-VII ; V . I, 5 ; vertebra) 

 28 + 25^53. Eye 7 in head. Maxillary nearly reaching front of pupil. 

 Each jaw with a series of compressed, triangular, trenchant teeth; about 



6 long canines in front of jaws, some of these with an emargination, as in 

 Sphyrccna ; palatines with a row of small teeth, none on vomer ; usually 

 a single canine at tip of lower jaw. Lateral line straight except anteriorly. 

 Dorsal spines slender ; soft dorsal and anal small, with numerous finlets. 

 Pectorals pointed, rather long; ventrals minute. Color dark metallic 

 blue. Flesh firm. Deep seas ; a rare fish, widely distributed, reaching a 

 length of 3 feet or more, (serj^ens, a snake.) 



Gempijlm sej-i^ens, Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. N.at. Toiss., viii, 207, 1831, Martinique. 



Gem.pylns serj>ens, GiiNTHER, Cat., ii, 050, IStlO. 



Gempijlns cohiher, Cuviek & Valenciennes, /. c, 211, Otaiti. 



Oenqnjlua oplddianuf, ToEy, Memorias, ii, 246, ISGl, Cuba. 



LeiiniisomathyrsitoideK, LESSON, Voyage Coqiiille, ICO, 182(1. 



Gempylus sei-pens, Goode & Bean, Oceanic Iclith., 202, 1895. 



Family CXX. LEPIDOFID^. 



Body elongate, band-shaped, scaleless; dorsal long, continuous or sub- 

 continuous, without distinct lobe to the soft dorsal; anal comparatively 

 short, preceded by a considerable number of short detached spines ; no fin- 

 lets ; caudal small, but distinct and forked ; pectoralswithsomeof thelower 

 rays longest ; ventrals rudimentary or absent ; a spine or scute, or pair of 

 scutes behind the vent. Lateral line conspicuous. Mouth large, the 

 lower jaw projecting. Teeth A-ery strong, premaxillaries not protractile, 

 lanceolate in jaws, more or less larger in front ; no teeth in p.alatines. 

 Air bladder present. Gill membranes separate, free from the isthmus; 

 gills 4, with a slit behind the fourth. Abdominal and caudal vertebra) 

 numerous, 100 or more. Pyloric cn»ca in large numbers. Three genera, 

 and about 5 species ; similar to the Trichiuridw in habit, but retaining the 

 caudal fin of the Gcmjii/lida'. This group represents successive steps by 

 Avhich the muscular and free-swimming mackerels become transformed to 

 band-shaped pelagic surface fishes Avith many vertebra\ The fins and 

 tail become degenerate, the teeth more and more highly specialized. 

 The retention of the rudin'entary caudal furnishes a slender character for 

 the distinction of Lejyidojndu' as a family from Trichiuridce. {Lepidopodidw, 

 Gill, Standard Natural History, iii, 206, 1885.) 



