718 TELEOSTEI CHAP. 
Five families :— 
I. Gill-opening in or behind lower axil of pectoral; mouth large, terminal 
or directed upwards. 
Pectoral fin scarcely geniculated; ventrals present . 1. Lophiidae. 
Pectoral fin scarcely geniculated ; ventrals absent . 2. Ceratiidae. 
Pectoral fin strongly geniculated ; ventrals present . 3. Antennariidae. 
II. Gill-opening behind lower axil of ee mouth large, inferior ; 
ventrals absent. : : . 4. Gag centennatee 
III. Gill-opening above ‘axil of pectoral ; Srncntty rather small, subterminal 
or inferior; pectoral fin strongly geniculated; ventrals present; spinous 
dorsal absent or reduced to a small tentacle lodged in a cavity under the 
snout ; ; : : : : ; : . 5. Malthidae. 
Fam. 1. Lophiidae——Mouth extremely large, terminal, with 
very strong cardiform teeth. Guill-opening in lower axil of 
pectoral ; pseudobranchiae present. Pectoral fin scarcely geni- 
culated, with two pterygials. Ventral fin with 1 spine and 5 
branched rays. Spinous dorsal present. Skin naked. 
Twelve species, referable to three genera (Lophius, Chirolophius, 
and Lophiomus) living on the bottom of the Atlantic, Indian, 
and Pacific Oceans, at moderate or great depths. Lophius was 
represented in the Upper Eocene of Monte Bolea. 
Fie. 434.—Chirolophius naresii. (After Giinther.) x 4. 
The Fishing-Frog or Angler (Lophius piscatorius) has a wide 
distribution, occurring on the coasts of Europe and North 
America. The first dorsal ray, inserted on the snout, is very 
long, movable in every direction, and terminates in a dermal 
flap, which is supposed to be used by the “ Angler” as a bait, 
attracting other fishes, which are soon ingulfed in the enormous 
gape. It grows to a length of over 5 feet. The ventral rays 
are very elongate in the young. 
