ALEPOCEPHALIDiE. 



Fam. 23. ALEPOCEPHALID.^. 



Body covered with thin cycloid scales ; head naked ; 

 barbels none. Margin of the upper jaw formed by 

 the intermaxillaries and maxillaries, the former being 

 placed along the upper anterior edge of the latter. 

 Opercular apparatus complete. Adipose fin none ; the 

 dorsal fin belongs to the caudal portion of the vertebral 

 column. Stomach curved, without blind sac ; pyloric 

 appendages in moderate number. Pseudobranchige ; 

 air-bladder absent. Gill-openings very wide. 



Mediterranean, deep-sea fishes. 

 One genus only is known. 



1. ALEPOCEPHALUS. 



Alepoceplialus, Hissn, 3Iem. Acad. Sc. Turin, xxv, 1820, p. 270 ; Miill. 

 Abhandl. Ak. Wiss. Berl. 1846, p. 171 ; Cm. Sf Vol. xix. p. 169. 



Body oblong, compressed ; cleft of the mouth of moderate width, 

 with the jaws nearly even in front ; a series of small teeth, in the 

 intermaxillaries, mandibles, and on the palatine bones. Dorsal and 

 anal fins subequal in length, opposite to each other; caudal emar- 

 ginate. Bones thin. Gill-membranes entirely separate, with six 

 branchiostegals. 



Mediterranean. 



1. Alepocephalus rostratus. 



Hmo, I. c. p. 271, pi. 10. fig. 4; Cut: <§• Val xix. p. 172, pi. 560. 



B. 6. D. 16. A. 18. L. lat. 55. Ca;c. pyl. 12. 



The height of the body is less than the length of the head, which 



is nearly two-sevenths of the total (without caudal). Eye very 



large. Blackish brown; inside of mouth and abdominal cavity black. 



Mediterranean. 



a. Not in good state. Purchased of Mr. Cutter. 



