440 GEOGRAPHICAL ZOOLOGY. [iart iv. 



Family 55.— OPHIDIID^. (16 Genera, 43 Species.) 



" Marine fishes, with more or less elongate bodies, the dorsal 

 and anal fins united, and the ventral fins rudimentary or absent." 



Distribution. — Almost universal ; from Greenland to New 

 Zealand, but most abundant in the Tropics. 



Opliidium and Ammodytes occur in British seas ; Lucifuga 

 inhabits subterranean fresh waters in Cuba. 



Family 56.— MACROURID^. (3 Genera, 21 Species.) 



"Marine fishes, with the body terminating in a long, com- 

 pressed tapering tail, and covered with spiny, keeled or striated 

 scales." 



Distribution. — North Atlantic from Greenland to Madeira 

 and the Canary Islands, Mediterranean, Japanese and Australian 

 seas. 



None of these fishes have occurred in the British seas. 



Family 57.— ATELEOPODID^. (1 Genus, 1 Species.) 



" Marine fishes, with the naked body terminating in a long 

 compressed, tapering tail." 



Distribution. — Japan. 



Family 58.— PLEURONECTIDJ^. (34 Genera, 185 Species.) 



" Marine carnivorous fishes, with strongly compressed flat 

 bodies, one side of wliich is colourless, and eyes unsymmetrically 

 placed, both on the coloured side. They inhabit the sandy 

 bottoms of shallow seas, and often ascend rivers." 



Distribution. — Universal, on Arctic, Temperate, and Tropical 

 -coasts. 



