398 ATELEOPODID^. 



distinct, yet exceedingly feeblo and very short. The anal fin com- 

 mences immediately behind the vent, below the posterior half of the 

 first dorsal ; its rays are very closely set, and shorter than the dia- 

 meter of the eye. The pectoral is inserted in the upper half of the 

 depth of the body, and its length is nearly two-thirds of that of the 

 head. Ventrals close together, rather short, distinctly jugular. 



Scales veiy small, rough. 



Brownish : margins of the opercles shining silvery ; axil, ventrals, 

 and the region before them black ; dorsal and pectoral blackish ; anal 

 with a black edge. Inside of the mouth white, of the gill-cavity 

 black. 



Fam. 6. ATELEOPODID^. 



Body terminating in a long, compressed, tapering tail, naked. One 

 short anterior dorsal and no other ; anal very long, continuous with 

 the caudal. Ventrals reduced to simple filaments, attached to the 

 humeral arch. 



1. ATELEOPUS. 



Ateleopus, Schleg. Faun. Japon. Poiss. p. 255. 



Head with the snout much protruding and obtusely rounded, the 

 cleft of the mouth being at the lower side of the head ; maxillaries 

 protractile in a downward direction. Body and tail compressed, 

 elongate, naked. One short dorsal, the rudimentary second dorsal of 

 the Macniridae having entirely disappeared ; one long anal, continued 

 on to the caudal. Ventral reduced to a filament which is composed 

 internally of two rays, intimately connected by a common membrane ; 

 this fin is inserted at the symphysis of the humeri. Teeth in the 

 jaws vilUform, in bands ; vomer and palatine bones smooth. 



Japan. 



1, Ateleopus japonicus. 



Ateleopus, Sclileg. I. c. pi. 112. fig. 1. 



Ateleopus japonicus, Bleek. Verhand. Batav. Genootsch. xxv. Nalez.Jap. 

 p. 19. 



B. 8. D. 8. A. 108. C. 10. P. 12. V. 1. 



The height of the body is contained nine times in the total length, 

 the length of the head seven times and a third. The length of the 

 snout is contained twice and three-fourths in that of the head ; eye 

 small. The vent is situated at the end of the anterior third of the 

 total length. The dorsal fin commences in the same vertical with 

 the pectoral. Ventrals one-sixth shorter than the head. Brownish. 

 {Schhfj.) 



Bay of Oomura. 



