92 



SPINOLA-S TRACHIPTERUS. 



Trackypterus Spinol^e, Cuv. and Val. 

 PLATE IV. 



A small species of extreme rarity, found in the 

 European seas; M. Risso procured it near Nice. 

 The remarkable position and form of the fins, on 

 the upper pai't of the head, seems rather to belong 

 to the dorsal than to the caudal fin. 



In some other fishes, again, one of the lobes of 

 the tail is prolonged into a slender filament equaling 

 the TN'hole length of the fish, and of which it is 

 difficult to conceive the use. This may be observed 

 in the Loricoria cirrhosa, Sclmeid. In another fish, 



Sty^eporus cJtordatus, Schneid., remarkable for its 

 whole form ; the extremity extends nearly twice the 



