392 STERNOPTrCHID^:. 



6. CHAULIODUS. 

 Chauliodus, Bl. Schn. p. 430. 



Body elongate, compressed, covered with exceedingly thin ard 

 deciduous scales ; series of luminous (phosphorescent) spots run along 

 the lower side of the head, body, and tail. Head much compressed 

 and elevated, with the bones thin, but ossified, and with the oper- 

 cular portion very narrow, the interoperculum being rudimentary. 

 Cleft of the mouth exceedingly wide, the intermaxillary forming one- 

 half of the margin of the upper jaw. Each intermaxillary with four 

 long canine teeth ; edge of the maxillary finely denticulated ; man- 

 dible with pointed, widely set teeth, the anterior of which are ex- 

 ceedingly long ; none of the large teeth are received within the 

 mouth. Palatine with a single series of small pointed teeth ; no 

 teeth on the tongue. Eye of moderate size. Pectoral and ventral 

 fins well developed. Dorsal fin anteriorly on the trunk, before the 

 ventrals ; adipose fin small, sometimes fimbriated ; anal short, rather 

 close to the caudal, which is forked. Gill-opening very wide, the 

 outer branchial arch extending forward to behind the symphysis of 

 the lower jaw; it has no gill-rakers. Branchiostegals numerous; 

 pseudobranchiae none. 



Mediterranean. 



1. Chauliodus sloanii. < 



Catesby, Carol., Suppl. p. 9. pi. 9. 



Chauliodus sloani, Bl. Schn. p. 430 ; Cuv. fy Vol. xxii. p. 383. 

 Choliodus setinotus, Bl. Schn. tab. 85. 

 Esox stomias, Shaw, Zool. v. p. 120. tab. 3. 

 Chauliodes schneideri, Risso, Eur. Merid. iii. p. 442. fig. 37. 

 Chauliodus setinotus, Bonap. Faun. Ital. Pesc. c. fig. 

 Stomias schneideri (Stomias boa), Cuv. Regne Anim. III. Poiss. pi. 97. 

 fig. 3 (incorrect). 



B. 16-18. D. 6. A. 12. V. 7. L. lat. 55-57. 



Head not much longer than high, its length being one-seventh of 

 the totab(with the caudal), and equal to the distance between the 

 vent and the root of the caudal. The distance of the dorsal from 

 the occiput is less than the length of the head, and its first ray is 

 produced into a long filament. Ventral fins prolonged, much longer 

 than the pectorals. There are thirty phosphorescent dots in a series 

 running from the chin to the root of the ventral fin. The scales 

 along the belly are of a subhexagonal shape. 



Mediterranean. 



a. Type of the species : 10 inches long. Straits of Gibraltar. 

 b-e. Half -grown and young. Messina. 



