ANGLER FISHES GILL. 



585 



the first specimen of Melaiiocetus Johnsonii obtained by Mr. J. G. 

 Johnson at Madeira was less than 4 inches long (3.8 inches), but 

 it had actually engorged a scopeloid fish about twice its own length 

 (7| inches). The extensibility of the jaws and connected parts as 

 well as the dilatibility of the oesophagus, stomach, and integuments 

 enabled the captor fish to accomplish this feat. So completely had 

 the captor ingested (but not digested) the scopelid that '' it was 

 tempted to take a bait " and was thus secured for ichthyologv'. 



Another group (Linophrjaiines) agrees essentially with the 

 Melanocetines but are unique among the Pediculates by the develop- 

 ment of an inferior tentacle pendent from the throat. The only 

 species knoAvn is Lino phryne hicifer obtained near the island of Ma- 

 deira. The peculiar '' gular tentacle " is quite large and terminates 



Fig. 24. — A Caulophrynine (Caulophri/ne jordani). After Jordan and Evermann. 



" in two tongue-like appendages, which are furnished on the upper 

 edge with a row of round white papillae.'' Like the Melanocetines, the 

 Linophryne is a bold raptorial fish and the individual which was ob- 

 tained owed its capture and death to its greediness; it had seized and 

 engorged a fish longer than itself " and consequently was carried by 

 the gas evolved by the decomposing fish up to the surface where it was 

 detected by a man fishing for turtles and saved for " the museum of 

 the Christiania University." 



The Caulophrynines present a combination of remarkable charac- 

 ters. The antepectoral region or " head '' is remarkably large — even 

 larger than the rest of the body, the mouth very deeply cleft and 

 little oblique, and the pectoral fins are large; the dorsal and anal are 

 not only multiradiate, but most of the rays greatly prolonged. Only 



