404 SCOPELID.E. 



fin small; anal short; caudal forked. Gill-opening very wide; 

 branchiostegals ten ; pseudobranchiee well developed. 

 Mediterranean. 



1. Chlorophthalmus agaesizii. 



Chlorophthalmus agassizi, Bonap. Faun. Itai. Peso. c. fig. 

 Aulopus agassizi, Cuv. fy Vol. xxii. p. 521. 



B. 10. D. 11-12. A. 9. P. 16. V. 9. L.lat.53. L. transv. 4/6. 



The lower jaw projects beyond the upper. The length of the head 

 is rather less than one-third of the total (without caudal). Pectoral 

 fin long, extending beyond the root of the ventral. Scales with the 

 margin denticulated. 



Mediterranean. 



a-b. Prom 2 to 2£ inches long. Messina. 



6. SCOPELUS*. 



Scopelus, sp., Cuv. Regne Anim. 



Scopelus, Myctophum (Nyctophus), Lampanyctus, Cocco. 

 Alysia, Lowe, Trans. Zool. Soc. iii. p. 14. 

 Neoscopelus, Johnson, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1863, p. 44. 



Body oblong, more or less compressed, covered with large scales, 

 those of the lateral line being generally the largest. Series of lumi- 

 nous (phosphorescent) spots run along the lower side of the head, 

 body, and tail, and a similar substance sometimes occupies the front of 

 the snout and the back of the tail. Head generally compressed, with 

 the bones thin, but ossified. Cleft of the mouth very wide. Inter- 

 maxillary very long, styliform, tapering ; maxillary well developed. 

 Teeth villiform, in bands, in both jaws, on the palatine and ptery- 

 goid bones, and on the tongue. The vomer bears small teeth in the 

 larger species, but none are visible in the small species or in young 

 specimens. Eye large. Pectoral and ventral fins well developed; 

 the latter are eight-rayed, inserted immediately in front of the 

 dorsal or below its anterior portion, at some distance behind the base 

 of the pectoral. Dorsal fin in, or nearly in, the middle of the length 

 of the body ; adipose fin small, sometimes fimbriated. Anal gene- 

 rally long. Caudal forked. Gill-opening very wide, the outer 

 branchial arch extending forward to behind the symphysis >f the 

 lower jaw, and beset with very long gill-racers. Branchiostegals 

 from eight to ten. Pseud obranchiae well developed. Air-bladder 

 small. Pyloric appendages in small number. 



Pelagic fishes, inhabiting the temperate and tropical seas. 



* 1. Scopelus coruscans, C. 8{ V. xxii. p. 454 (not Richards.). — Seychelles. 



2. brachygnathos, Bleek. Act. Soc. Sc. Indo-Neerl.i. Manado Sf Makassar ; 



p. 65. — Manado. 



3. Grasteropelecus crocodilua, Risso, Ichth. Nice, p. 357 ; Scopelus crocodilus, 



Risso, in Memor. Accad. Sc. Torino, 1820, xxv. p. 265. pi. 10. fig. 1 (bad), 

 and Enr. Merid. iii. p. 466. — Nice. 



4. Scopelus angustidens, Risso, in Memor. Accad. Sc. Torino, 1820, xxv. 



p. 267. — Nice. 



