930 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



mass of "zoophytes" (Hydro/oa on seaweed?). It lay of its having been intercepted l)y tlie dredge while the 

 oil one side at the surface, but was still nVivc Its latter was being drawn nj). It seems most likely that 

 colour was described as nacreous on the sides of the in the daytime it avoids the light by retiring to depths 

 h(id\-, reflecting various hues, principally azure blue. wliere the sun exercises no appreciable influence. 

 Tlu' back was black, with tlic same \)\n\ of coloiu-s; Its geographical range extends from the ('ape of 

 tlie tins were transparent; tiie eve was of a handsome Good Hope to North Cape, but appears to be restricted 

 green. bet^veen the limits of the great ocean (currents. It has 

 Tlie species is tlius kiinwn (jriginally as a surface i thus been carried by the (Tulf Stream on several re- 

 lisli. By the Challenger Expedition, however, it was corded occasions to the Norwegian coast north of Ber- 

 taken in a dredge that had been drawn at tiie bottom | gen, but has never been found furtlier south in Scan- 

 in 1,12.5 fathoms of water, off Cape Finisterre. In dinavia. Collett mentions 8 specimens as having been 

 most instances, as in the case of deep-sea fishes, the found duinng the last thirty years, cast ashore at dif- 

 specimens secured have drifted lielplessly at the sur- fereiit points on the Norwegian coast, or taken in the 



face and been cast ashore bv the Avaves. Tlie congener 

 of this species — if they are both entitled to an inde- 

 pendent specific rank — was taken in 1869 by the Foi- 

 cuplne expedition, in 540 fathoms of water, between 

 Scotland and the Faroe Islands", and in 1880 and 

 1882 by the American expeditions on the Blake and 

 Fish-Hawk, in 225 and 245 fathoms of water, oft' the 

 coast of Flol■ida^ Ar<jyropeleciis Olfersii is also fre- 

 (juently found oft' the Norwegian coast in the stomach 

 of Cod, a circumstance which seems to indicate that 

 it keeps near the bottom, as is further suggested b}' 



stomachs of Cod or Coalfisli. 



Argijropeleciifi Olfersl'i is a voracious tisli-of-prey, 

 as evidenced liy its dentition. In the stomach of a spe- 

 cimen 82 mm. long (>)llett found a half-digested 

 MaKroVicuii JltiUcri that had proliably measured 50 mm. 

 Small fishes and crustaceans are, no douljt, its principal 

 diet. Its spawning-season is unknown; but in a fe- 

 male about 8 cm. long Collett counted about 1.000 

 eggs ^ .J mm. in diameter, a much greater number and 

 relatively smaller size than we found in a female 

 Argyropelecus hcmigymnus, taken in February oft' the 



its large eyes. But at night its congener is often met | Sicilian coast. In the latter specimen both ovaries 



witli at the sui'face oft' the coast of Sicily; and it is ^ were ratlier tumid but of dift'erent lengths, the right, 



highly probable that An/yropelecus Olfersii shares this j which was the longer, measuring hardly (i mm. The 



habit. To the true deep-sea fishes it cannot thus be I eggs were V2 mm. in diameter, and lay so loose in 



referred; and the above-mentioned instances of its oc- the ovaries tliat they wrvv prol)ab]y almost ready for 



currence at great depths do not exclude the possibility , deposition. 



Subfamily COCCIIN^. 



Body iif a sllyhtly In-cyiihir Jlerrhiy-forni. Ventyal muryln. iimrc or less terete. Cleft of flir iiioiitli more or less 



ascending, iclth the iiiuryhi of the upper jair formed hi front liy the hitermn.rlUurles and hvlihul l)y the ma.rll- 



laries, which are here armed irifh teeth. Teeth In the inoiilli of fairly nnlform size. I're<ilidomiiial leiiytli yreater 



than the jiosfat)domii/al. /'seiidolir<uiehi(e irell dereloped. Siioat shorter than the postorhital jiart of the head. 



Tlie known forms of this subfamily are not nume- ' containing one species with the most reduced inter- 

 rous. GiNTiiEK' enumerates 5 species, distributed among j maxillaries and jaw-teeth, has conferred its name on 

 two genera, one of which, tlie ^lediterranean Coccia, | the subfamily. In form and coloration, and proliably 



" Day, Fish. Gt. Brit.. Irel., vol. II, p. 48. 



' BnovvN-GoonE and Bkan, Bull. Miis. Cocnp. Zool., vol. X (1883), p. 250. 



' Vat. Brit. Mus., Fish., vol. V, p. 387. Whether Diplophus (GONTUiiR, Mus. Godefr., Heft. II, p. 101) belongs to this subfamily 

 is uncertain, so long us we are ignorant whether it possesses or is without pseudobranchia;. The subfamily Ohauliodontinw, to which, accord- 

 ing to GCnther, it should else be referred, is destitute of pseudobranclii;e, and in general has a larger mouth with a n;ore powerful dentition. 



