208 DEEP-SEA FISHES OF THE ATLANTIC BASIN. 



Family TRICHIURIDvE. 



Trichiurini, IJoNAPAnTE, Cat.alogo Metodico, Pesci Europei, 1846, 78 (Subfam. 136). 

 Trichiuroidei, Blekkkr, Euiiin. Spec. Pise. Arch. Inilieo, 1859, 61. 



yVic/tiKJifin', GiJNTiiER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., ii, 1860, 842.— Gii.L, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phihi., 1863, 224; 

 Am-. Fam. Fish. 1872, 8 (No. 77) ; Standard Nat. Hist, in, 1885, 206. 



Scombroidea, witli very elongate, compressed, scaleless body, tapering to a point, and 

 without caudal. Dorsal and anal long, low, continuous, confluent posteriorly. Pectorals 

 normal. Ventrals absent or rudimentary. Mouth wide; jaws armed with very strong, un- 

 equal teeth. Lateral line present. Air bladder present. Gills 4, with a slit behind the 

 fourth. Gill membranes sei)arate, free from the isthmus. 



In addition to the typical genus Trichiurus, characterized by the absence of ventrals, 

 there is a Chinese form, Hupleurofirammm (with a single species, E. muticun), in which the 

 ventrals are represented by a pair of very small scales. 



TRICHIURUS, Linnaeus. 



Trichiurus, Linnaeus, Systema Natiir.-e, Ed. x, 1, 246; Ed. xii, I, 429. — Cuvier, Rcgne Animal, Ed. 1, 1817, 

 246; Ed. 2, 1829, 218.— Cuvier and V.\lenciennes, Hi.st. Nat. Poiss, viii, 2;{5.— GCntuer, Cat. Fish. Brit. 

 Mus. II, 346.— JOHDAX and Gilbert, Bull, xvi, U. S. Nat. Mus., 212. 



Lepturus, Artedi, Spec. Pise, 101.— Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1862, 120. 



Body very elongate, band-like, tapering to a fine point. Head long; cleft of mouth 

 wide; teeth very strong and unequal in the jaws; teeth on the palatines, none on the 

 vomer. Preorbital covering cleft of mouth posteriorly. A shigle dorsal along whole of 

 back; anal very long, of short detached spines, minute or hidden in the skin; ventral fins 

 reduced to scale-like appendages or absent; pectorals small. No caudal. No scales. 

 Lateral line decurved, concurrent with the belly. Vertebra^, 3<J+120. Color, silvery. 



TRICHIURUS LEPTURUS, Linnjsu.s. (Figure 217.) 



The Scabbard Fish. 



Trichiurus Icpiurus, LlNN^us, Syst. Natura>, ed. x, 1758, i, 246. GItnther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Miis., ii, 346; 



Challenger Report, vi, 66; xxii, 39. — Jordan and Gilbert, Bull, xvi, U. S. N. M., 422. 

 Trichiurus arijcnteus, SiiAW, Zoology (Fishes), iv, 90, pi. xii. 

 Lepturus arffeuteus, Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., 1862, 126. 



A Trichiurus with long, pointed, snout whose length is about equal to that of pectoral. 

 Maxillary reaching nearly to vertical from middle of eye. Length of head, 7^ times its 

 length ; height of body, 16. 



Color silvery, with darker dorsal. 



Radial formula : D. 135 ; A. ca. 100. 



This is a well-known form, frequently found in shoal waters from Cape Cod to the 

 West Indies, and needs no description here. 



The Challenger obtained the scabbard-fish off luoslma, Japan, at a depth of 345 fath- 

 oms. Young were obtained by the U. S. Fish Commission at station 2273, at 17 fathoms; 

 2289, at 7 fathoms; 2121-2, at 31-3-t fathoms. 



A commercial fishery of considerable importance exists at Jamaica. This sjiecies 

 enters the estuary of the St. Johns River in Florida, and has been known to leap into row- 

 boats. Liunauis wrote of it in 1758: Totus argentvus exllicns ex aqua sajpt in eymbam. 

 (Systema Naturje, ed. x, i, 246.) 



Family CORYPH^^NID^E. 



/ Corifenidi, Ramnesqve, Indicc d' Ittiologia Siciliana, 1810, 29. 



Corijphanidw, Lowe, Proc. Zoiil. Soe., London, 1839, 80. — Swain.son, Nat. Hist., etc., Il, 1839, 177. — BoNA- 



i-AUTE, Catalogo Metodico, Pesci Europei, 1846, 76 (Fam. 64).— Gill, Arr. Fam. Fishes, 1872, 8 (No. 81, 



name only).— Jordan and Gilbert, Bull, xvi, U. S. Nat. Mus., 458. 

 Coryphxcnini, Bonaparte, Icon. Fauu. Italica, Pesci, 1842, Introduzioue. — GtJNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. JIus., 



II, 404. 

 Coryphcvnoidei, Bleeker, Teutameu, 18.59, x.viii (Familia 101). 



